THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


FEEDERICK  WILLIAM,  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR. 
From  an  engraving  by  Antonius  Masson,  16S3. 


THE   REIGN  OF 
THE   GREAT  ELECTOR 


Qln  historical  ftomancc 


BY 


L.    MOHLBACH 


AUTHOR    OF  JOSEPH    II.    AMD    HIS    COURT,    FREDERICK    THE    GREAT    AND    HIS    COURT, 
LOUISA    OF   PRUSSIA    AND    HER    TIMES,    HENRY    VIII.    AND    HIS    COURT,    ETC. 


TRANSLATED    FROM   THE   GERMAN 
BY   MARY  STUART   SMITH 


NEW     YORK 
D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY 

1899 


COPYRIGHT,  1897, 
B*  D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY. 


College 
Library 

PT 


CONTENTS 


BOOK  I. 

PAGE 

I.   A   FAMILY   FESTIVAL 1 

II.    DOING   PENANCE 8 

III.  BROTHER  AND  SISTER        .        . 20 

IV.  THE   OFFER   OF    MARRIAGE 27 

V.  THE  FRENCH  AMBASSADOR 38 

VI.   THE   LAST    FAREWELL 52 

VII.  ELECTOR  AND  BEGGAR 62 

VIII.    LOVE'S   COURIER   RETURNS 74 

IX.    NOTH   BRIGHT   ElSEN,    NoTH   LEHRT   BETEN         ....  88 

BOOK  II. 
I.  THE  HAGUE      .       .       . .100 

II.    A   PAIR  OF   WEDDED   LOVERS Ill 

III.  THE  WALK                         , 123 

IV.  FRIENDS  MEET  AGAIN 139 

V.  THE  CHALLENGE 147 

VI.  THE  ELOPEMENT 160 

VI  f.  THE  CHINESE  PAVILION .  171 

VITI.  THE  CONFESSION 180 

IX.  THE  WEDDING    .  194 


BOOK   III. 

I.   THE    RETURN    FROM    PRAGUE 201 

II.  THE  CONFESSION 214 

III.  CASTLE  BUILDING 224 

IV.  THE  FIRST  CAULIFLOWER 232 

V.    THE   LADY   FROM    A    FOREIGN   LAND     ......  244 

VI.  THE  SKELETON  .        . .  254 

VII.  THE  ELECTOR  AND  THE  BURGOMASTER 269 

VIII.  THE  TEMPTER 276 

iii 


iv  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR   IN  POWER. 

PAQE 

IX.  MEETING  AGAIN 282 

X.  THE  TRIAL .    200 


BOOK  IV. 

I.  POLITICS  AND  INTRIGUES 302 

11.  THE  VISIT 814 

III.  THE  EXECUTION 333 

IV.  THE  DAY  OF  AUDIENCES 355 

V.  PREACHER  AND  TAILOR 367 

VI.   MUSIC  AND   ART 385 

VII.   JESUS   MY   CONFIDENCE 399 

VIII.  RETRIBUTION  .  416 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


FACING 

PAGE 

Poi  trait  of  Frederick  William,  the  Great  Elector     '.       Frontispiece 

Prince  William  and  Princess  Mary  at  the  Time  of  their  Betrothal,  139 

The  Palace  at  The  Hague 195 

View  of  Berlin  about  the  Time  of  the  Great  Elector        .        .        .  359 


THE  REIGN  OF  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR. 


THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

BOOK  I. 
I. — A  FAMILY  FESTIVAL. 

THE  cathedral  bells  were  ringing  and  cannon  thundering 
from  the  low  ramparts  of  the  fortress  of  Berlin.  These  festive 
sounds  announced  to  the  gaping,  listening  crowd,  who 
thronged  the  space  between  the  cathedral  and  castle,  that 
the  solemn  ceremony  in  the  cathedral  was  over,  that  the  Prin- 
cess Charlotte  Louise,  eldest  sister  of  Elector  Frederick  Wil- 
liam, had  just  been  married  to  Duke  Jacob  of  Kurland,  and 
that  the  priest  had  pronounced  a  blessing  upon  the  pair. 

The  people,  however,  did  not  add  their  benediction,  they 
had  no  loving  congratulations  for  the  newly  married  couple. 
The  court  had  been  too  long  absent  from  Berlin,  and  during 
the  five  years  of  the  present  Elector's  administration,  he  had 
himself  only  once  visited  Berlin  for  a  short  time,  and  his  family 
not  at  all.  Not  until  now,  in  the  middle  of  the  year  1645,  had 
the  Electoral  family  returned  to  Berlin,  and  the  Elector  an- 
nounced to  the  magistrates  and  citizens  of  his  "loyal  resi- 
dent city  "  that  he  expected  to  take  up  his  abode  at  Berlin 
for  a  long  time,  perhaps  for  good. 

With  high-sounding  words  had  the  magistrates  and  citi- 
zens replied  to  this  Electoral  message,  but  at  the  bottom  of 
their  hearts  they  felt  but  little  pleasure  at  the  news.  The 
common  people  of  Berlin  had  received  the  tidings  with  perfect 
indifference.  They  had  been  so  long  oppressed  by  the  perpetu- 
ally recurring  calamities  of  war  that  they  were  no  longer  capa- 

1 


2  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

ble  of  joyful  emotions.  So  reduced  were  they  by  poverty 
and  distress,  that  they  could  think  of  nothing  but  their  own 
bitter  sorrows,  and  not  unless  their  Prince  had  brought  them 
relief  from  poverty  and  want  would  they  have  given  him  a 
cordial  reception. 

But  the  Elector  was  poor — that  they  knew;  the  Elector 
himself  was  straitened  for  want  of  money,  and  often  had 
difficulty  in  providing  maintenance  for  his  princely  household. 
The  Mark  had  been  utterly  exhausted  by  war,  and  the  States 
of  Prussia  had  refused  their  consent  to  the  tax  imposed  by  the 
Elector. 

The  Elector  had  no  money!  Why,  then,  should  the  people 
of  Berlin  rejoice  in  his  presence?  The  Elector  gave  his  sister 
in  marriage,  and,  conformably  with  a  time-honored  usage, 
his  subjects  must  endow  the  bride!  Why,  then,  should  this 
marriage  gladden  the  hearts  of  the  poor  Berlin  folk,  since  it 
threatened  them  with  the  imposition  of  new  taxes,  and  was  to 
fetch  from  the  carefully  locked  chest  the  hard-earned  two- 
groschen-piece  assessed  to  each  individual? 

No,  not  out  of  love  but  curiosity  had  the  people  flocked 
hither,  thronging  the  cathedral  square  and  castle  grounds. 
They  wished  to  see  the  Electoral  family  move  in  state,  they 
wished  to  enjoy  a  spectacle  that  possessed  one  merit  at  least 
— that  of  costing  them  no  money. 

The  bells  continued  to  ring  merrily  and  cannon  were  still 
thundering  salutes  from  the  walls,  when  the  cathedral  door 
opened  and  the  pastor  Stoschius  stepped  forth  upon  the  ca- 
thedral square,  in  simple  clerical  attire,  with  the  accompany- 
ing tall  black  velvet  cap  upon  his  head.  The  incumbents  of 
all  the  other  churches  of  Berlin  followed;  but  their  faces  were 
grave  and  sad,  for  only  in  deference  to  a  stringent  order  of  the 
Elector  had  they  consented  to  attend  service  in  a  Eeformed 
church,  and  witness  a  ceremony  performed  by  a  Calvinistic 
minister.  A  peculiar  movement  was  perceptible  among  the 
closely  packed  multitude  on  the  appearance  of  the  preach- 
ers. Here  some  were  seen  to  bow  profoundly,  as  the  cathedral 
pastor  Stoschius  passed,  there  others  proudly  kept  their  heads 
erect  and  eyed  the  ministers  of  the  Reformed  Church  with 
threatening  looks,  while  they  reverentially  lowered  their  eyes 


A  FAMILY   FESTIVAL.  3 

before  the  Lutheran  ministers  following  them,  who  again, 
in  their  turn,  were  greeted  by  the  disrespectful  mutterings  of 
those  attached  to  the  Reformed  Church,  whose  faith  the  Elec- 
toral family  professed.  But  the  procession  following  the 
clergy  was  fortunately  calculated  to  divert  the  attention  of 
the  multitude,  and  to  make  them  forget  their  mutual  hatred 
of  creed  in  the  common  feelings  of  curiosity  and  love  of  sight- 
seeing. 

It  was  truly  a  very  grand  procession  that  filed  along  be- 
hind the  priests,  the  sacristans  and  the  choristers  of  the  gray 
cloister.  First  the  Elector's  hundred  life-guardsmen  were 
seen  to  march  by,  their  uniforms  glittering  with  gold  lace, 
and  their  weapons  shouldered.  Then  came  the  High  Cham- 
berlain Conrad  von  Burgsdorf  in  a  velvet  suit  embroidered 
with  gold,  and  on  his  head  a  gold-brimmed  hat,  surmounted 
by  nodding  plumes  attached  by  a  large  diamond  clasp.  He 
was  followed  by  the  six  members  of  the  privy  council  in  their 
robes  of  office.  Now  came  the  Electoral  pages  in  velvet  clothes 
trimmed  with  silver  lace,  then  the  court  marshal  and  chamber- 
lains in  their  dress  uniforms,  and  behind  them,  a  small  space 
intervening,  appeared  the  Elector  Frederick  William  in  a 
magnificent  court  dress  buttoned  across  the  breast  with  im- 
mense diamond  studs,  and  around  his  slender  yet  well-devel- 
oped form  a  broad  belt  set  with  emeralds,  pearls,  and  rubies. 
He  led  by  the  hand  his  sister,  the  newly  married  Duchess  of 
Kurland,  who  in  her  exquisite  bridal  toilet  was  lovely  to  be- 
hold. And  yet  the  eyes  of  the  multitude  rested  upon  her  only 
for  a  short  time,  and  but  a  cursory  glance  did  they  bestow 
upon  the  succeeding  couples,  viz.,  the  Dowager  Electress, 
who  accompanied  Duke  Jacob  of  Kurland,  and  the  Princess 
Sophie  Hedwig,  who  was  escorted  by  the  Duke's  brother. 

The  eyes  of  the  multitude  saw  all  this,  but  they  ever  re- 
turned to  the  Elector,  to  that  noble  and  energetic  countenance 
full  of  youthful  fire  and  manly  seriousness,  those  finely  curved 
lips  around  which  hovered  a  smile  so  sad  and  yet  so  sweet. 
His  dark-blue  eyes  were  fixed  with  long,  beaming  glances  upon 
the  multitude,  who  permitted  him  to  pass  in  silence,  without 
sympathy  as  it  seemed,  and  yet  wholly  lost  in  his  contempla- 
tion. This  silence  of  the  people  seemed  to  vex  him,  for  a  cloud 


4  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

passed  over  his  brow.  But  it  vanished  as  quickly  as  it  came, 
and  was  lost  in  the  brightness  of  the  smile  that  lighted  his 
countenance  as  he  kindly  bowed  to  the  right  and  left,  as  if 
in  return  for  the  greetings  which  should  have  come  from  the 
people,  who,  however,  let  him  pass  by  coldly  and  silently, 
asking  themselves  in  view  of  all  this  splendor  of  dress,  these 
diamonds,  and  these  golden  ornaments:  "  Why  shall  we  stint 
ourselves  for  this  Princess,  who  is  encircled  with  pomp  and 
glory  while  we  suffer  want  and  hunger!  If  the  Elector  has  no 
money,  why  does  he  not  sell  some  of  his  large  diamonds?  We 
have  sold  all  that  we  possessed  to  buy  ourselves  bread,  and 
now  shall  we,  out  of  our  poverty  and  rags,  pay  a  wedding  tax 
to  this  Princess,  clad  in  silk  and  satin?  " 

And  what  they  all  thought,  some  at  last  began  to  speak 
aloud:  "  Herr  Elector,  remit  the  taxes!  We  are  too  poor 
to  pay  them!  Herr  Elector,  excuse  us  from  the  wedding 
tax! " 

At  first  only  individual  voices  were  heard,  but  ever  louder, 
ever  fuller  swelled  the  chorus,  until,  like  a  gathering  tempest, 
there  swept  across  the  broad  cathedral  square  stentorian  shouts 
of:  "  Herr  Elector,  spare  us  the  tax!  We  are  so  poor — so 
wretched!  " 

The  Elector  seemed  not  to  understand  these  loud,  wild 
cries,  perhaps  because  the  ringing  of  bells  and  discharge  of 
cannon  actually  rendered  them  unintelligible.  Still  he  smiled 
and  bestowed  kind  greetings  right  and  left,  yet  he  slightly 
quickened  his  pace,  and  began  a  lively  conversation  with  the 
young  Duchess  at  his  side.  Now  they  had  traversed  the  cathe- 
dral square,  passed  the  castle  common,  and  reached  the  en- 
trance of  the  pleasure  garden,  which  must  be  crossed  before 
gaining  the  castle  on  that  side  of  the  Spree.  In  Count 
Schwarzenberg's  time  this  so-called  pleasure  garden  had  at 
least  borne  some  remote  resemblance  to  a  princely  park,  for  the 
Stadtholder  in  the  Mark  had  occasionally  bestowed  a  few  orna- 
mental shrubs  and  flowers  upon  it,  out  of  magnanimous  friend- 
ship for  Elector  George  William,  and  had  also  had  the  com- 
plaisance to  depute  his  own  skillful  gardener  to  put  it  in  order 
a  little  every  year.  Then  the  trees  had  been  artistically 
trimmed,  the  turf  cut,  and  the  walks  covered  with  gravel. 


A   FAMILY  FESTIVAL.  5 

But  since  Count  Schwarzenberg's  death,  his  palace  had  been 
deserted,  and,  as  the  young  Elector  resided  at  Kb'nigsberg, 
no  one  had  troubled  himself  about  the  condition  of  the  pleas- 
ure garden.  The  trees  had  shot  up  at  random,  the  shrubbery 
had  died  out,  and  the  turf  disappeared;  the  drains  leading 
to  the  Spree  had  become  choked  up,  and  pools  of  mud  and 
water  had  gradually  changed  the  soil  into  a  swamp,  hardly 
passable  in  damp,  rainy  weather.  To-day,  however,  a  path 
had  been  carefully  provided  for  the  princely  family,  by  laying 
boards,  and  covering  these  with  carpeting.  But  on  both  sides 
of  this  artificial  road  the  mire  and  mud  again  held  sway,  and 
only  a  few  foolhardy  boys  and  ragged  beggars  had  had  the 
temerity  to  wade  through  this  marsh,  in  order  to  see  the  pro- 
cession pass. 

The  Elector  experienced  a  sensation  of  relief,  as  he  now 
walked  through  the  quiet,  deserted  pleasure  garden,  and  with 
a  rare  smile  he  leaned  over  toward  the  young  Duchess  at  his 
side. 

"  Only  see,  sister,"  said  he,  "  what  a  great  lesson  we  have 
received  to-day!  " 

"  What  lesson,  Frederick?  "  asked  Charlotte  Louise  softly. 

"  The  lesson  that  we  should  despise  nothing,  esteem  noth- 
ing small,  not  even  the  dirt  in  the  road,  because  everything  has 
its  use.  The  dirt  in  the  road  here  serves  us  as  a  bulwark 
against  the  rude,  persistent  mob,  who  have  shamelessly  mo- 
lested us,  and  actually  made  me  burn  with  anger.  The  dirt 
in  the  road  protects  us  against  the  insults  of  the  populace, 
and— 

"  Gracious  sir,  oh,  gracious  sir,  have  pity  on  me!  Give 
an  alms  to  the  poor  wayside  beggar,  sir! " 

The  Elector  broke  off  in  the  middle  of  his  sentence,  to 
listen  to  the  mournful,  pleading  voice  that  cried  to  him. 

This  voice  sounded  strangely  familiar,  and  awoke  within 
him  sad  memories.  He  paused  before  the  beggar,  who  had 
fallen  on  his  knees  in  the  mud  beside  the  carpet,  and  stretched 
out  both  hands  imploringly  toward  him. 

"  Pity,  sir,  pity!  "  cried  the  beggar  a  second  time.  "  Give 
me  an  alms,  gracious  sir!  " 

"  It  is  he,  yes,  it  is  he,"  murmured  the  Elector,  whose  eyes 


6  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

rested  piercingly  upon  the  pale,  begrimed  features  of  the 
beggar. 

"  Gabriel  Nietzel!  "  said  he  then,  in  a  loud  voice — "  Gabriel 
Nietzel! " 

The  beggar  shuddered  and  a  scream  escaped  his  lips.  Al- 
most joyfully  he  looked  up  at  the  Elector,  but  speedily  this 
expression  vanished  and  was  succeeded  by  a  dark  cloud  that 
overshadowed  his  countenance.  "  Gabriel  Nietzel  is  dead," 
said  he;  "  Gabriel  Nietzel  died  in  his  sins,  and  has  gone  to 
hell! " 

"  Then  let  us  pray  for  him,  that  Almighty  God  may  release 
him!  "  cried  the  Elector. 

"  No,  no,  he  will  never  be  released! "  shrieked  the  beggar 
in  the  voice  of  despair.  "  He  was  a  shameful  criminal!  " 

"  But  he  had  repented  of  his  crime  and  done  severe 
penance,"  said  the  Elector  gently.  "  Come  straight  to  the  cas- 
tle, and  ask  for  my  Chamberlain  Kunkel.  I  have  something 
to  say  to  you/' 

He  nodded  kindly  to  the  beggar  and  passed  on,  while  he 
turned  to  his  sister  and  begged  her  pardon  for  the  delay. 

"  You  knew  that  beggar  then  ?  "  said  the  Duchess  sym- 
pathetically. 

"  Yes,  I  knew  him,"  replied  the  Elector.  "  He  reminds  me 
of  a  period  of  gloom,  sorrow,  and  bitter  humiliation,  and — but 
here  we  are  at  the  castle.  I  will  tell  you  some  other  time.  Per- 
mit me  now  to  attend  you  to  your  apartments,  and  to  bid  you 
farewell." 

"  Brother,"  whispered  the  Duchess,  "  I  would  like  to  take 
leave  of  you  without  witnesses,  for  it  seems  to  me  I  have 
much  to  say  to  you,  that  none  other  than  God  and  yourself 
should  hear." 

The  Elector  nodded  a  kind  assent  and  then  turned  to  salute 
the  ministers,  who  were  standing  on  both  sides  of  the  castle 
door,  the  courtiers  and  pages  having  ranged  themselves  in 
their  rear.  With  a  friendly  greeting  and  a  few  condescending 
words  he  dismissed  his  ministers  and  the  nobles  of  his  retinue. 
He  then  again  turned  to  his  sister,  and  handed  her  up  the 
broad,  carpeted  staircase,  leading  to  the  upper  corridor,  where 
were  situated  the  Electoral  apartments. 


A   FAMILY   FESTIVAL.  7 

In  the  small  vestibule  before  the  grand  audience  hall,  the 
residents  at  court  were  assembled.  The  Elector  stopped  and 
turned  with  amiable  address  to  accost  the  couple  following 
him,  viz.,  his  mother  and  the  Duke  of  Kurland. 

"  Here  my  office  ceases  and  yours  begins,  dear  brother-in- 
law,"  said  he.  "  Therefore  take  your  bride's  hand  and  lead 
her  into  the  hall.  The  nobility  of  the  Mark  wish  to  take 
leave  of  their  beloved  Princess,  who,  with  cruel  haste,  must 
bid  farewell  to  Berlin,  and  follow  her  husband  within  an  hour 
after  her  nuptials." 

"  You  know,  brother-in-law,  necessity  compels  me  to  make 
my  departure  so  abrupt.  Besides  the  courier  of  yesterday, 
another  arrived  to-day  bringing  urgent  appeals  for  my  return 
from  my  councilors  and  nobility.  The  Swedes  threaten  my 
duchy,  and  it  is  all  important  that  I  should  be  there,  in  readi- 
ness to  protect  my  country  and  my  people." 

"  You  are  right,  Duke,"  exclaimed  the  Elector,  with  a 
nod  of  approval.  "  When  the  interests  of  one's  land  and 
people  are  at  stake,  all  family  considerations  and  personal 
desires  should  give  way.  Set  out,  therefore,  and  be  assured 
that  my  love  and  best  wishes  attend  you.  And  you,  dearest 
mother,  will  grant  my  request,  and  honor  the  young  ducal 
pair  by  escorting  them  to  Potsdam?  " 

"  I  do  so  the  more  willingly,"  replied  the  Electress,  "  as 
my  apartments  in  the  castle  are  sadly  out  of  repair  and  must 
be  refitted.  Yesterday  the  heavy  rain  quite  deluged  my  dress- 
ing room.  Pray,  dear  son,  attend  to  having  the  needful  re- 
pairs made,  and  for  that  reason  I  shall  prolong  my  stay  at 
Potsdam  to  two  months." 

"  Do  so,  most  gracious  mother,  and  hear  my  promise!  As 
soon  as  our  affairs  are  in  a  little  more  prosperous  condition, 
I  shall  have  a  stately  palace  built  for  you  at  any  point  within 
the  Mark  which  you  may  designate,  and  it  shall  be  so  strong 
and  solid  that  no  rain  or  storm  shall  have  power  to  molest 
you  there." 

"  My  son,"  cried  the  Electress  joyfully,  "  I  accept  your 
generous  offer,  and  have  no  hesitation  in  selecting  a  site,  with- 
out further  deliberation!  Both  of  my  estates  are  near  Grossen, 
and  in  Grossen,  therefore,  I  would  like  my  palace  to  be." 


8  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  At  Grossen  be  it  then,  dearest  mother.  And  now,  Duke, 
be  pleased  to  conduct  your  bride  into  the  hall.  I  have  a  re- 
quest, though,  to  make  of  you,  sister!  When  all  is  ready  for 
the  journey,  be  kind  enough  to  come  into  my  cabinet,  that 
brother  and  sister  may  take  an  informal  leave  of  one  another. 
My  brother-in-law  I  see  makes  no  objection,  and  will  not,  I 
know,  be  jealous  of  a  brother.  Au  revoir  then! " 


II. — DOING  PENANCE. 

WITH  a  kindly  salutation  the  Elector  left,  to  repair  to  his 
own  apartments,  not,  however,  through  the  great  antechamber 
by  means  of  which  public  access  was  had  to  the  Elector,  but 
through  the  small  side  corridor  leading  into  the  room  of 
Chamberlain  Kunkel,  and  thence  into  his  own  sleeping  apart- 
ment. 

In  approaching  this  small  corridor  he  was  greeted  by  the 
voice  of  his  chamberlain,  speaking  in  loud,  angry  tones. 

"  It  is  madness,"  exclaimed  this  voice.  "  You  can  not 
speak  to  the  Elector  to-day.  You  misunderstood  him!  The 
Elector  will  not  admit  to  audience  such  a  shabby  fellow  as  you 
are! " 

"  He  has  done  so,"  replied  a  soft,  gentle  voice.  "  Yes,  the 
Elector  commanded  me  to  come  forthwith  to  the  castle,  and 
to  desire  you  to  conduct  me  to  him.  Else  surely  I  should  not 
have  come  here." 

"  You  lie!  The  Elector  would  invite  no  beggar  to  a  feast 
on  his  sister's  wedding  day." 

"  And  why  not,  Kunkel  ?  "  asked  the  Elector,  opening  the 
door  and  coming  in.  "  Are  we  not  all  beggars,  who  neverthe- 
less hope  to  be  invited  to  the  great  resurrection  feast  of  the 
Lord  of  Hosts?" 

"  Most  gracious  sir,"  muttered  Kunkel,  "  I  did  not  know, 
I  did  not  think  that  your  grace — 

"Would  speak  to  this  man,"  interrupted  the  Elector. 
"  Yes,  I  will  speak  to  him,  and  that  without  delay!  Come!  " 


DOING  PENANCE.  9 

said  he,  turning  to  the  beggar,  who  stood  at  the  door,  his  head 
meekly  bowed  upon  his  breast.  "  You,  Kunkel,  stay  here  and 
wait  until  this  man  comes  back.  Have  some  breakfast  brought, 
that  he  may  eat,  drink,  and  grow  strong.  Come!  " 

He  strode  through  the  corridor  and  adjoining  rooms  until 
he  reached  his  own  cabinet.  The  beggar  followed  him,  with 
bowed  head  and  hands  folded  upon  his  breast. 

At  the  cabinet  door  he  stopped  and  awaited  with  humble, 
modest  air  the  address  of  the  Elector,  who  threw  his  hat  and 
ermined  mantle  upon  the  table,  and  drew  off  his  gold-em- 
broidered gauntlets. 

Then  he  drew  near  the  beggar,  and  scrutinized  him  long, 
with  kindly,  sympathizing  looks.  Not  once,  though,  did  the 
beggar  raise  his  eyes,  nor  did  a  single  feature  of  his  pale,  thin 
face  move. 

"  Gabriel  Nietzel,"  asked  the  Elector  after  a  long  pause, 
"  wherefore  this  disguise  ?  " 

"  It  is  no  disguise,  sir,"  replied  the  beggar  gently.  "  I 
am  what  I  seem — I  am  a  beggar." 

"  Why  did  you  not  apply  to  me  when  you  were  in  want?  " 
asked  the  Elector  quickly.  "  Did  I  not  expressly  tell  you  at 
Kb'nigsberg  that  you  would  always  find  a  protector  in  me? 
Did  I  not  enjoin  it  upon  you  as  a  duty  to  turn  to  me  if  you 
were  ever  in  distress,  Gabriel  Nietzel?  " 

The  beggar  was  long  silent  and  a  momentary  blush  tinged 
his  pale  cheeks  with  red.  "  You  call  me  by  a  name  which 
does  not  belong  to  me,"  he  said,  with  low,  trembling  voice. 
"  My  name  is  not  Gabriel  Nietzel.  I  know  nothing  of  such  a 
person." 

"  But  I  know  of  him,"  cried  the  Elector  quickly.  "  I  know 
that  seven  years  ago,  here  at  Berlin,  poor  Gabriel  Nietzel  al- 
lowed himself  to  fall  into  the  snares  of  the  tempter  and  was 
led  into  crime.  I  know  that  Gabriel  Nietzel  would  have  be- 
come a  murderer  if  God  in  his  mercy  had  not  prevented  it. 
But  God  sent  me  a  messenger  in  the  shape  of  a  noble,  high- 
souled  woman.  She  came  to  me  at  the  risk  of  her  life,  brought 
me  deliverance  from  certain  death,  and  gave  her  own  life  for 
mine!  This  noble,  high-souled  woman  was  the  wife  of  him 
who  meant  to  murder  me,  and  to  make  atonement  for  him 


10  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

whom  she  loved  she  went  herself  to  meet  death.  Gabriel  Niet- 
zel,  do  you  know  of  whom  I  speak?  Need  I  tell  you  that  this 
devoted  woman,  my  deliverer,  was  your  wife — that  her  name 
was  Eebecca?" 

"  Eehecca! "  cried  the  beggar,  with  so  piercing  a  shriek 
that  the  Elector  was  moved  to  the  very  depths  of  his  heart. 
"  Eebecca! "  repeated  the  man  once  more,  while  he  fell  upon 
his  knees  and  sobbing  and  groaning  covered  his  face  with  his 
hands. 

"  Will  you  still  deny  that  you  are  Gabriel  Nietzel?  "  asked 
the  Elector. 

"  No,"  groaned  the  beggar — "  no,  I  will  not.  I  am  Gabriel 
Nietzel,  the  much-to-be-pitied  monster,  who  once  bore  that 
name.  But  I  have  cast  it  from  me,  I  have  scattered  it  to  the 
four  winds  of  heaven,  as  they  scatter  the  ashes  of  a  criminal, 
that  they  may  find  no  sepulcher  upon  earth!  Eebecca  has 
no  grave  either,  although  she  was  an  angel!  Gabriel  Nietzel 
is  dead,  and  he  will  not  rise  from  the  dead  until  he  has  found 
his  dead  Eebecca's  remains,  and  laid  them  in  a  tomb." 

"  Stand  up,  Gabriel  Nietzel,"  commanded  the  Elector — 
"  stand  up  and  tell  me  where  you  have  been  and  what  you  have 
been  doing  since  the  day  I  last  saw  you,  five  years  ago,  at 
Konigsberg." 

"  Let  me  kneel,  sir,"  implored  Gabriel.  "  I  can  not  look 
you  in  the  face,  for  I  read  my  crime  upon  your  brow,  and  it 
bows  me  to  the  earth." 

"  God  has  accepted  the  atonement  for  your  crime,  Gabriel, 
and  I  have  forgiven  you." 

"  But  I,  sir,  I  have  not  forgiven  myself,  and  Eebecca  has 
not  forgiven  me  either,  else  she  would  have  let  me  find  her 
grave,  and  taken  me  home  to  her.  I  have  sought  death  these 
long  years.  I  have  sought  it  upon  battle  fields  and  upon  the 
raging  sea,  I  have  gone  to  meet  it  in  hospitals  and  at  the  bed- 
side of  those  smitten  with  pestilence,  but  all  in  vain.  In  the 
depths  of  my  despair  I  made  a  pilgrimage  to  Eome,  barefooted 
and  clothed  in  sackcloth,  to  beseech  the  Holy  Father  of 
Christendom  to  accept  my  penance  and  forgive  me  in  the 
name  of  God.  Three  days  and  nights  I  knelt  within  the 
inner  court  of  the  Vatican,  before  the  Pope's  windows.  On 


DOING  PENANCE.  11 

the  fourth  day,  in  tender  compassion,  Innocent  sent  out  his 
chamberlain  to  the  ragged  beggar  to  ask  him  why  he  had 
thus  knelt  and  prayed  for  three  whole  days.  And  the  beggar 
answered:  '  That  I  can  only  reveal  to  the  Holy  Father  himself. 
From  a  great  distance  have  I  journeyed  hither  barefooted,  in 
order  to  confess  to  him.  He  alone  can  receive  my  confession.' 
The  chamberlain  left  me,  and  a  fourth  day  and  night  I  re- 
mained upon  my  knees.  But  on  the  morning  of  the  fifth  day 
the  Pope  again  sent  his  chamberlain  to  summon  me  to  his 
presence  in  the  Vatican.  I  could  not,  however,  rise  from  my 
knees;  my  limbs  refused  to  perform  their  office;  four  days  of 
fasting,  hunger,  and  thirst  had  exhausted  all  my  strength, 
and  I  hoped  even  now  that  God  in  his  mercy  was  about  to  re- 
lease me  from  all  the  pains  of  earth.  When  I  attempted  to 
rise  I  fell  back  senseless.  When  I  came  to  myself  I  was  in  a 
large  room,  encircled  by  strangers,  who  were  regarding  me 
with  sympathizing  looks.  A  physician  had  bled  me,  and  was 
in  the  act  of  bandaging  my  arm;  they  had  rubbed  my  forehead 
with  restoratives,  and  moistened  my  parched  lips  with  wine. 
A  sweet  fragrance  filled  the  room.  It  was  the  odor  of  the 
viands  they  were  bringing  for  me.  Involuntarily  I  stretched 
out  my  hand  for  food,  but  drew  it  back,  for  I  remembered 
my  oath,  neither  to  eat  or  drink  until  I  had  made  confession 
to  the  Pope.  When  I  told  the  chamberlain  this  he  left  the 
apartment,  and  in  a  few  minutes  returned  with  joyful  counte- 
nance. The  Pope  summoned  me  to  his  presence.  The  Pope 
was  ready  to  receive  the  beggar's  confession!  " 

"  Go  on!  Go  on! "  exclaimed  the  Elector,  as  Gabriel  now 
paused,  drawing  a  deep  breath  and  bowing  his  head  yet  more 
deeply  upon  his  breast. 

"  Do  you  wish  it,  sir?  Have  you  patience  enough  to  hear 
more  of  the  criminal's  story?" 

"  It  interests  me  greatly,  for  you  know  he  whom  you  call 
a  criminal  is  the  husband  of  the  woman  who  saved  my  life. 
Speak  then,  Gabriel.  Tell  me  more.  Did  you  see  the  Pope?  " 

"Yes,  I  saw  the  Pope,"  replied  Gabriel  solemnly.  "I 
knelt  before  him  on  the  high  cushion,  which  was  placed  ready 
for  me  near  the  Pope's  armchair,  and  into  his  bowed  and  listen- 
ing ear  I  whispered  my  confession.  I  veiled  nothing,  con- 
2 


12  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

cealed  nothing,  laying  bare  to  him  all  the  thoughts  and  actions 
of  my  life,  making  full  confession  of  my  sins  and  crimes,  with- 
out reservation  or  attempt  at  palliation!  " 

"  And  the  Pope?  He  pardoned  you,  did  he  not?  He  pro- 
nounced absolution  upon  you  and  gave  you  his  blessing,  since 
it  was  only  a  heretic  whom  you  had  purposed  to  kill?  You  are 
absolved  from  your  sins,  are  you  not,  Gabriel?  Speak;  what 
said  the  Pope?" 

"  Sir,  his  were  cruel  words,  which  have  haunted  me  ever 
since.  Like  the  thunder  of  doomsday  they  are  ever  resound- 
ing in  my  ears,  and  I  shall  hear  them  at  the  hour  of  death! 
When  I  had  ended  my  confession,  the  holy  father  rose  from 
his  seat  and  drew  himself  up  erect,  with  angry  face  and  flash- 
ing eyes.  '  You  were  near  killing,'  said  he,  '  an  heretical 
prince,  a  dangerous  enemy  of  the  Church  and  the  holy  faith. 
God  had  probably  selected  you  as  the  instrument  by  means 
of  which  he  would  rid  the  world  of  this  dangerous  young 
Prince,  who  has  evidently  been  armed  by  the  powers  of  hell 
to  do  battle  against  religion  and  the  Church.  I  pronoitnce 
you  pure  of  this  deed,  I  exonerate  you  from  murder.  In  the 
name  of  God  and  the  only  true  Church,  I  forgive  you  for  all 
your  errors,  crimes,  and  sins  but  one!  One  crime,  however, 
you  have  committed,  for  which  there  is  no  forgiveness  either 
in  this  world  or  the  next;  one  crime  for  which  you  must  do 
penance  both  here  and  hereafter.  The  fires  of  purgatory  await 
you.  From  this  hour  they  shall  burn  for  you  on  every  path, 
filling  your  days  and  nights  with  anguish;  they  shall  follow 
you  to  the  grave  and  allow  you  there  no  rest;  they  shall  rise 
with  you,  and  even  before  the  throne  of  God  overwhelm  you 
with  dismay!  For  you  have  committed  one  crime,  never  for- 
given by  God  or  the  Church.  You  have  lived  in  criminal  in- 
tercourse with  a  daughter  of  that  accursed  race  which  nailed 
our  Saviour  to  the  cross,  you  have  taken  a  Jewess  to  your  heart, 
instead  of  spurning  her  with  your  foot.  You  have  wished  to 
deceive  God  and  man  by  passing  off  your  Jewish  mistress  as 
your  wife;  you  have  given  your  name  to  the  child  of  your 
shame,  and  have  not  yet  had  him  admitted  to  the  Christian 
communion,  nor  poured  the  holy  waters  of  baptism  upon  that 
son  of  carnality  and  crime.  Cursed  be  ye  therefore  all  your 


DOING  PENANCE.  13 

life,  and  cursed  be  your  child!  Happiness  shall  ever  elude 
his  grasp,  and  misfortune  relentlessly  pursue  him.  In  shame 
and  sin  was  he  born,  in  sin  and  shame  shall  he  live  and  die. 
You  have  confessed  your  fearful  crime  to  me,  the  priest  of  the 
Lord,  and  the  secrets  of  the  confessional  are  sacred.  Take 
heed,  however,  that  in  the  priest  of  the  Lord  you  do  not  arouse 
the  earthly  judge,  and  that  the  priest  inform  not  the  Pope 
of  your  wicked  act,  for  the  Pope  dare  show  you  no  mercy;  the 
law  of  the  Church  sentences  to  death  by  fire  the  criminal  who 
has  lived  in  carnal  intercourse  with  a  Jewess!  Flee,  therefore, 
flee  away,  lest  the  Pope  take  knowledge  of  your  crime — flee, 
ere  the  secret  of  the  confessional  is  made  known  to  him! 
Cursed  be  you  and  the  son  of  shame!  Cursed  be  all  they  who 
show  you  pity,  cursed  be  the  compassionate  souls,  who  extend 
their  hands  to  you,  cursed ' '; 

He  grew  speechless,  muttering  a  few  unintelligible  words, 
then  sank  a  lifeless,  senseless  mass  upon  the  floor. 

"Poor  man,"  murmured  the  Elector  compassionately — 
"poor  victim  of  prejudice  and  hard-hearted  ness,  I  pity  you! 
It  shall  not  be  said  that  the  Calvinistic  Prince  has  had  no 
compassion  upon  the  poor  creature,  condemned  by  the  prince 
and  priest  of  the  Catholic  Church." 

He  rang  and  ordered  the  chamberlain,  who  came  hurry- 
ing in,  to  lift  up  the  fainting  beggar  and  to  convey  him  into 
the  antechamber,  there  to  rub  his  forehead  with  vinegar  and 
endeavor  to  restore  him  to  consciousness. 

But  the  Elector's  sharp  eye  read  in  the  chamberlain's 
countenance  his  inward  reluctance  to  performing  this  office 
of  love  for  a  beggar.  While  Kunkel  thus  bent  over  the  swoon- 
ing man,  wholly  void  of  sympathy,  and  hesitating  to  touch 
him,  the  Elector  quickly  approached. 

"  Stop!  "  said  he,  "  I  did  wrong  to  order  you  to  remove  this 
poor  man  to  the  antechamber.  He  is  sick  and  suffering,  and 
the  sick  and  suffering  should  ev^er  find  a  brother  in  the  healthy. 
We  will  put  him  to  bed  here  in  my  easy  chair!  " 

And  the  Elector  stooped  over  the  poor  man  and  passed  his 
arm  under  his  shoulder. 

"  Gracious  sir!  "  cried  Kunkel,  greatly  shocked,  "  you  will 
not  lift  the  beggar  with  your  own  exalted  hands!  " 


14  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER 

"  And  why  not?  "  asked  the  Elector,  smiling.  "  There 
is  no  one  else  here  to  help  you,  and  God  only  sees  us.  Before 
God,  though,  we  are  all  nothing  but  beggars,  and  He  regards 
neither  the  purple  of  the  prince  nor  the  rags  of  the  beggar. 
He  only  looks  upon  the  heart." 

And  with  strong  arm  Frederick  William  lifted  up  the 
beggar  and  laid  him  carefully  and  gently  in  the  easychair. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  run  for  restoratives  and  chafe  his  tem- 
ples." 

"  I  will  fetch  the  essence  of  balm  which  is  upon  your  dress- 
ing table! "  cried  Kunkel,  whom  the  Elector's  noble  example 
had  seemed  to  warm  into  sympathy. 

"  Do  so,"  said  the  Elector  kindly;  "  bring  also  the  Tokay 
wine  which  stands  beside  it."  On  Kunkel's  speedy  re-appear- 
ance with  the  two  bottles  the  Elector  with  his  own  hands 
sprinkled  a  few  drops  of  the  essence  of  balm  upon  the  temples 
of  the  swooning  man,  while  Kunkel  held  a  handkerchief 
steeped  in  the  same  under  his  nose. 

"  Gracious  sir,  he  is  stirring,"  whispered  Kunkel  joyfully 
— "  he  is  coming  back  to  life." 

"Poor  man!"  sighed  the  Elector,  "perhaps  it  would  be 
better  for  him  not  to  come  back  to  life!  It  is  true,  though, 
that  he  is  stirring  and  will  soon  be  awake.  Go  out,  Kunkel, 
I  prefer  being  left  alone  with  him." 

Kunkel  cast  a  last  sympathizing  look  upon  the  beggar, 
and,  seeing  that  he  opened  his  eyes,  gave  a  nod  of  satisfaction 
and  left  the  room  without  delay. 

"  Where  am  I  ?  What  has  happened  to  me  ?  "  murmured 
Gabriel  Nietzel,  casting  a  long  dreamy  glance  around  him. 
Then,  when  his  eye  met  the  sympathizing  gaze  of  the  Elector, 
a  shudder  crept  over  the  unhappy  man's  whole  frame,  and, 
as  if  stung  by  horror,  he  sprang  from  the  chair  in  which  he 
lay. 

"My  God!  who  put  the  beggar  to  bed  in  the  Elector's 
seat  ?  "  cried  he  as  if  shocked.  "  Who  took  pity  upon  the 
murderer?  " 

"  I,"  replied  the  Elector  softly.  "  I  am  not  his  holiness 
the  Pope,  who  condemned  and  cursed  you.  I  am  only  your 
fellow,  and  therefore  I  can  forgive  where  he  condemned  and 


DOING  PENANCE.  15 

bless  where  he  cursed.  Yes,  Gabriel  Nietzel,  I  pronounce  a 
blessing  upon  you,  a  blessing  in  the  name  of  that  noble,  de- 
voted woman,  who  for  your  sake  met  her  death.  It  is  true  that 
she  belonged  to  that  unhappy  people,  who  crucified  our  Lord; 
she  was  a  Jewess.  Nevertheless,  within  her  dwelt  the  love  of 
God,  and  she  followed  the  Saviour's  glorious  example.  In 
giving  herself  for  the  sins  of  others  she  atoned  for  your  crime, 
and  delivered  me  from  death  in  order  to  win  eternal  life  for 
you  and  free  you  from  the  course  of  the  evildoer.  To  save  your 
soul  was  the  only  reward  which  she  coveted  from  God  or  man. 
She  was  a  Christian  by  deed  if  not  by  profession;  she  obeyed 
the  law  of  love  and  sealed  it  with  her  blood.  And  therefore,  I, 
Elector  Frederick  William,  say:  She  died  as  she  lived,  in  love. 
No  stain  was  found  upon  her,  no  shame  or  dishonor  was  at- 
tached to  her.  The  confession  of  faith  belongs  to  man,  but 
faith  itself  to  God,  who  regards  not  the  name  of  Catholic  or 
Calvinist,  Jew  or  heathen,  but  only  men  who  keep  his  com- 
mandments, loving  and  exhorting  one  another  to  good  and 
pious  works.  Gabriel  Metzel,  your  Eebecca  died  the  death 
of  a  Christian,  and  you  may  claim  her  as  your  wife  before  God 
and  men,  for  God  united  you.  God  has  taken  to  himself  the 
wife  of  your  bosom.  Blessings  upon  Eebecca's  memory.  Be 
it  held  sacred,  and  revered  by  you  and  me,  although  the  Pope 
at  Eome  has  pronounced  sentence  against  her." 

"  Oh,  sir,  sir!  "  cried  Gabriel  Nietzel,  lifting  up  his  clasped 
hands  to  the  Elector.  "  You  esteem  my  Eebecca,  then;  you 
do  not  call  her  an  accursed  Jewess?  " 

"  She  has  gone  home  to  God,  for  she  was  a  child  of  God!  " 
said  the  Elector  mildly. 

The  beggar  uttered  a  cry  of  rapture,  and  rushed  toward 
the  Elector.  Falling  upon  his  knees,  he  kissed  his  garments, 
embraced  his  knees,  and  pressed  his  lips  upon  his  feet. 

"You  are  my  priest!  You  are  my  pope! "  he  cried  with 
enthusiasm.  "  I  believe  you,  sir,  when  you  say  that  my  Ee- 
becca is  not  doomed  to  everlasting  misery,  but  has  been  saved 
by  her  love." 

"  You,  too,  Gabriel  Nietzel,  you,  too,  she  saved — you,  too, 
she  purified  from  sin  and  crime.  Awake  then,  Gabriel;  lift 
up  your  head  and  be  a  man!  Cast  aside  these  rags,  be  up  and 


16 

doing!  Work  becomes  a  man,  no  idle,  inactive  penance 
can  procure  him  forgiveness.  In  the  name  of  God,  in  the 
name  of  love  and  Eebecca,  I  charge  you  to  resuscitate  the 
painter  Gabriel  Nietzel,  and  restore  him  to  his  art  and  use- 
fulness! " 

"  No,  sir,  no.  ,  I  dare  not,"  said  the  beggar,  sorrowfully 
shaking  his  head.  "  Gabriel  Nietzel  is  dead,  and  nothing  can 
release  him  from  the  power  of  the  grave.  My  lips  are  bound 
by  a  solemn  oath,  which  nought  but  death  can  loosen! " 

"  To  whom  have  you  given  this  oath?  " 

"  To  God,  Eebecca,  and  myself,  sir.  When  the  Pope  thrust 
me  from  him,  an  unforgiven  criminal,  and  without  absolution 
drove  me  back  to  life,  then  in  my  utter  despair  I  became  for 
the  second  time  a  murderer — the  murderer  of  myself.  From 
the  Vatican  I  rushed  forth  like  a  madman.  Whither  I  knew 
not.  I  fled  before  an  unknown  terror,  before  a  specter  that 
pursued  me  with  mockery  and  laughter,  hunting  me  farther, 
ever  farther.  Through  streets  and  squares  I  ran;  when  I  fell, 
I  got  up  and  ran  again;  when  men  tried  to  lay  hold  of  me, 
I  broke  away  from  them  and  ran  on  and  on.  When  the  shades 
of  evening  fell  I  sank  down,  senseless  and  exhausted.  Near 
me  I  heard  the  roaring  of  waters,  before  me  I  saw  a  black, 
monstrous  mass,  a  huge  and  yawning  sepulcher.  I  saw  before 
me  the  Tiber,  inviting  me  to  its  cruel,  yet  welcome  embrace, 
calling  to  me  with  its  ceaseless  murmurings.  I  cried  aloud 
for  joy.  I  stretched  out  my  arms  and  sprang  into  the  abyss. 
The  waves  closed  gurgling  over  me,  forced  me  once  more  to 
the  surface  to  drag  me  into  the  depths  again.  There  was  a 
ringing  as  of  bells  in  my  ears,  my  feet  seemed  weighted  down 
by  iron  fetters,  and  I  was  drawn  down  the  stream  as  upon 
the  wings  of  the  hurricane.  My  senses  forsook  me,  I  sank." 

"  Horrible!  "  murmured  the  Elector.  "  And  how  did  you 
escape  the  tomb?  " 

"  I  did  not  escape  it,  sir,  but  the  tomb  escaped  me.  It 
would  not  accept  me  and  permit  me  to  taste  of  its  repose. 
Even  death  would  have  no  fellowship  with  the  criminal,  and 
pitilessly  hunted  him  again  into  life.  On  the  ruins  of  the  old 
Tiber  bridge,  where  once  the  Horatii  and  Curiatii  had  fought 
their  deadly  combat,  on  this  heap  of  stones  near  the  shore, 


DOING  PENANCE.  if 

I  found  myself  on  awakening  from  my  deathlike  slumber 
in  the  middle  of  the  night.  I  lay  for  a  long  while  motion- 
less, looking  up  at  the  starry  sky,  and  listening  to  the  voices 
of  the  night,  the  waves,  and  the  wind.  All  shrieked  in  my 
ear:  '  Live  to  do  penance,  faithless  father,  who  forgot  his 
child,  and  would  have  left  him  a  lonely  orphan  in  the  world! 
Live  to  do  penance  and  to  make  amends! '  I  crept  down 
from  the  rubbish  to  the  shore,  and  there  fell  upon  my  knees, 
lifted  up  my  arms  to  Heaven,  and  cried  with  loud,  echoing 
voice  to  God:  '  I  will  live  to  do  penance.  As  a  beggar  plead- 
ing for  mercy  will  I  stand  before  God  and  men.  In  sackcloth, 
poor  and  naked,  I  will  go  through  life.  I  will  renounce  my 
art,  ambition,  and  all  the  amenities  of  life.  Gabriel  Nietzel 
is  dead,  and  nothing  remains  of  him  but  a  beggar,  groveling 
in  the  dust  and  living  upon  the  charities  of  mankind.  For 
the  sake  of  money  Gabriel  Nietzel  became  a  criminal,  there- 
fore in  poverty,  want,  and  penance  shall  he  journey  to  the 
grave! '  That  I  swore  to  the  Great  Spirit,  who  dwells  en- 
throned above  the  clouds;  swore  by  the  name  of  my  son — 
swore  that  this  child  should  never  learn  who  was  his  father, 
that  I  would  bring  him  up  to  regard  me  as  his  servant,  stand- 
ing apart  from  him,  and  never  laying  claim  to  his  love.  I 
shall  keep  my  oath,  sir,  till  I  breathe  forth  my  last  gasp." 

"  Where  is  your  son,  Gabriel  Nietzel  ?  "  asked  the  Elector. 

"  I  had  left  him  at  Venice  with  Eebecca's  father.  From 
Rome  I  traveled  there,  in  order  to  reclaim  him  and  take  him 
with  me.  I  found  him  in  the  Ghetto,  hungry,  and  lying  half 
naked  in  the  street.  His  grandfather  had  died,  and,  as  no 
heirs  made  their  appearance,  the  Government  had  assumed 
the  inheritance  and  confiscated  the  property.  The  poor  boy 
would  have  died  if  the  poor  Jews  of  the  Ghetto  had  not  had 
compassion  upon  him.  I  took  him  with  me,  and  together 
we  traversed  the  whole  of  Germany;  I  begged  for  him,  I  suf- 
fered want  for  him;  I  shall  beg  for  him  while  I  live,  and  that 
is  and  shall  be  the  only  aim  of  my  existence." 

"  But  you  can  not  wish  the  boy  to  partake  of  your  miser- 
able existence,"  said  the  Elector.  "  Surely  you  would  not 
condemn  the  innocent  child  to  your  life  of  penance.  Give  him 
to  me!  I  will  give  to  the  son  what  I  owe  to  the  mother;  I 


18  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

will  pay  to  him  my  debt  of  gratitude!  Give  me  Rebecca's 
son!  " 

"  Sir,  no,  that  I  can  not  do!  "  cried  Gabriel  quickly.  "  Sir, 
I  will  do  penance;  my  whole  life  is  one  of  repentance  and 
mortification.  But  this  one  thing  is  too  hard,  too  intolerable! 
Leave  me  my  son,  leave  me  Rebecca's  child!  " 

"  Abraham  gave  up  his  son  when  God  required  it,  and 
Abraham  was  no  sinner,"  said  the  Elector  severely.  "  No 
crime  burdened  his  soul,  but  he  was  humble  and  obedient, 
and,  to  propitiate  God,  offered  up  the  dearest  thing  he  pos- 
sessed upon  earth.  You,  too,  Gabriel  Nietzel,  should  be  hum- 
ble and  obedient,  and  offer  in  sacrifice  to  God  and  your  duty 
the  dearest  thing  you  have  upon  earth.  I  demand  your  son  of 
you,  that  he  may  be  brought  up  a  God-fearing,  honest,  and 
virtuous  man.  If  you  refuse  to  give  him  to  me,  you  are 
no  lowly,  contrite  servant  of  God,  but  a  selfish  man,  who 
prefers  the  gratification  of  his  own  wishes  to  the  welfare  of 
his  poor,  unfortunate  child,  who  for  his  sake  must  be  a  despised 
pauper!  " 

"  No,  sir,  no!  "  cried  Gabriel,  "  my  Raphael  shall  not  be 
a  pauper!  No,  you  shall  not  say  that  I  am  selfish  and  hard- 
hearted! I  will  conquer  my  heart,  I  will  renounce  the  last 
thing  that  is  mine  —  the  last  joy  of  my  existence!  I  will  give 
you  my  child,  sir,  that  he  may  grow  up  to  be  a  virtuous  man, 


His  voice  was  choked  by  tears,  he  heaved  a  convulsive 
sob,  and  his  whole  frame  shook  as  with  ague. 

"  My  child,  my  beloved  child!  "  he  whispered,  while  the 
tears  streamed  down  his  sunken  cheeks.  "  My  Raphael!  I 
shall  tear  thee  from  my  heart;  I  shall  see  thee  no  more  —  no 
more  drink  in  consolation  from  thy  dear  face,  and  no  more 
see  my  Rebecca's  eyes  mirrored  in  yours.  I  shall  shut  out 
the  last  star  of  my  existence,  and  wander  away  in  darkness 
and  in  solitude." 

"  It  must  be  so,"  said  the  Elector,  with  a  voice  full  of  emo- 
tion, visibly  touched  by  the  grief  and  tears  of  the  unhappy 
man.  "  You  must  make  this  sacrifice  to  the  welfare  of  your 
son,  and  save  him  from  your  misery.  It  is  not  right  that  he 
should  suffer  with  you,  and  be  sentenced  to  your  life  of  pen- 


DOING  PENANCE.  19 

ance.  Give  me  Eebecca's  child,  and  I  swear  that  I  will  do  all 
I  can  to  make  him  a  happy  man!  " 

"  I  give  him  to  you,  sir — I  resign  my  son.  Only  be  piti- 
ful, and  let  me  keep  him  a  few  days  more." 

"  How  long,  Gabriel,  would  you  have  him?  Appoint 
your  own  time — say  when  you  will  bring  him  to  me." 

"  Grant  him  to  me  eight  days  longer,  sir,  eight  days! " 
implored  Gabriel,  with  trembling,  choking  voice. 

"Well,  be  it  so!  Keep  the  child  eight  days  longer,  and 
then  bring  him  to  me  here  in  the  castle!  " 

"  I  shall  bring  him,  sir!  ,  In  eight  days,  I  shall  bring  you 
my  Raphael,  and  transfer  him  to  your  care.  But  until  then 
he  is  mine,  until  then  I  may  see  and  speak  to  him!  Ah,  sir, 
dismiss  me  now,  that  I  may  go  to  my  child — that  I  may  not 
lose  a  moment  of  the  time  I  am  still  to  have  him  with  me!  " 

"  Go,  Gabriel,  and,  that  you  may  have  no  need  to  beg  for 
these  eight  days,  take  this  piece  of  gold." 

He  tried  to  lay  it  in  Gabriel's  hand,  but  the  latter  drew 
back.  "  No,  sir,"  he  said  gently,  "  I  have  not  begged  of  you, 
therefore  I  can  not  receive  your  gift.  For  these  eight  days 
Raphael  is  still  my  child,  and  he  must  live  as  his  father  does, 
although  he  knows  not  that  I  am  his  father.  I  beseech  you, 
sir,  to  dismiss  me,  and  permit  me  to  go  to  my  son." 

"  Go,  then!  But  I  depend  upon  your  word,  Gabriel  Niet- 
zel.  In  eight  days  you  are  to  bring  me  your  son.  I  shall  ex- 
pect you  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning." 

"  In  eight  days  I  shall  bring  him  to  you.  But  one  request 
more  I  have  to  make  of  you.  Call  me  not  Gabriel  Nietzel 
any  longer,  for,  as  I  have  already  told  you,  Gabriel  Nietzel 
is  dead." 

"  And  who  are  you  then,  poor  man?  " 

"  I  am  the  beggar  Glaus — nothing  more,  sir " 

"Brother,  may  I  come  in?"  asked  a  voice  outside  the 
grand  antechamber,  while  the  door  was  gently  opened. 

"  You  are  welcome,  Duchess,"  said  the  Elector,  and  as  he 
advanced  to  meet  her,  Gabriel  Metzel  hurried  out  through 
the  door  of  the  small  antechamber. 


20  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 


III. — BROTHER  AND  SISTER. 

"  WAS  not  that  the  beggar  we  passed  just  now  in  the 
pleasure  garden  ?  "  asked  Charlotte  Louise. 

"  Yes,  it  was  he,"  replied  the  Elector,  sighing.  "  A  poor 
unfortunate  man,  whom  I  used  to  know  under  different  cir- 
cumstances, and  whom  I  called  here  that  he  might  acquaint 
me  with  the  particulars  of  his  life.  Ah,  sister,  there  is  but 
little  joy  and  happiness  upon  earth,  and  much  bitter  grief 
and  suffering.  Vain  is  our  contest  with  life,  and  what  do  we 
gain  by  it  at  last?  Many  disappointments  and  few  gratifica- 
tions, many  humiliations  and  few  triumphs! " 

"  But  methinks,  brother,  one  triumph  outweighs  a  hun- 
dred defeats,  and  one  success  obliterates  the  memory  of  a  hun- 
dred disappointments." 

"  I  agree  with  you  in  that,"  cried  the  Elector,  with  beam- 
ing eyes.  "  Although,  alas!  up  to  this  time  there  has  been 
but  little  in  my  experience  to  verify  such  an  assertion.  Dur- 
ing the  course  of  my  five  years'  sovereignty  I  have  only  to 
tell  of  disappointments  and  humiliations,  but " 

"  But  your  triumphs  and  successes  will  come,"  interposed 
the  Duchess,  with  animation  of  manner. 

"  I  hope  and  believe  so,"  cried  the  Elector;  "  and  had  not 
such  hopes  brightened  the  difficult  path  I  have  been  called 
upon  to  tread  for  the  past  five  years,  I  should  have  sunk  under 
my  burdens.  But  amid  all  my  varied  discouragements,  I  ever 
consoled  myself  with  the  thought,  my  time  will  come!  For 
me,  too,  will  dawn  a  day  of  retribution  and  triumph!  This 
I  said  to  myself  when  I  knelt  before  the  King  of  Poland  and 
swore  allegiance  to  him;  this  I  repeated  when  I  received  the 
tardy  and  unwilling  homage  of  my  obstinate  States;  this  con- 
soled me  when  I  looked  upon  the  small  number  of  my 
wretched,  ill-clad  soldiery,  the  towns  and  States  refusing  me 
money  to  fill  up  my  regiments;  this  I  repeat  to  myself  day  and 
night.  Yes,  my  time  will  come,  for  me,  too,  shall  dawn  a  day 
of  retribution  and  triumph!  I  tell  you  this,  sister,  in  the  hour 
of  our  parting,  that  you  may  think  of  me  hopefully  and  cheer- 
fully; that  you  may  know  that  your  poor  brother  does  not 


BROTHER  AND  SISTER.  21 

always  expect  to  go  with  bowed  head  and  humble  mien,  seek- 
ing to  conceal  his  insignificance  beneath  the  shadow  of  other 
great  contending  parties.  No,  sister,  I  am  quietly  and  little 
by  little  preparing  the  great  broad  road  upon  which,  God 
willing,  I  shall  one  day  march  gloriously  at  the  head  of  a  brave 
and  victorious  army.  This  is  my  goal — this  is  my  hope!  " 

"  And  you  will  reach  your  goal;  it  is  written  upon  your 
brow!  "  cried  Charlotte  Louise  enthusiastically.  "  You  will 
make  yourself  and  your  country  great  and  glorious.  So  says 
my  heart,  so  says  the  glance  of  your  eagle  eye!  I  thank  you, 
Frederick,  for  this  revelation  of  yourself  and  your  designs, 
on  the  eve  of  our  separation." 

"  It  is  not  often  that  I  indulge  in  confidences,"  said  the 
Elector,  smiling,  "  few  can  boast  of  knowing  my  thoughts 
and  plans.  He  who  would  attain  to  any  eminence  in  this  life 
must  carefully  conceal  his  purpose  from  others,  for  the  world 
is  wicked  and  envious,  loving  to  obstruct  the  way  of  the  small 
who  would  become  great,  and  seeking  by  all  possible  means 
to  prevent  their  growth." 

"  But  you  will  grow,  despite  Emperor  and  empire,  and  all 
^our  enemies  and  ill-wishers.  Ah,  brother,  how  enviable  is 
your  lot  compared  with  mine.  You  look  forward  confidently 
to  the  future,  and  if  at  present  your  sky  is  clouded,  yet  at  the 
edge  of  the  distant  horizon  are  discernible  the  crimson  hues 
which  betoken  a  brilliant  sunrise;  while  I  see  nothing  before 
and  around  me  but  pale  and  somber  twilight,  a  starless  sky, 
and  an  aimless  path." 

"  Do  you  not  love  your  husband?  "  asked  the  Elector. 

"Brother,"  replied  Charlotte  Louise,  with  a  melancholy 
smile,  "  when  you  notified  me  of  my  engagement  you  did  not 
ask  me  that  question,  but  simply  informed  me  that  I  must  con- 
sider myself  the  Duke's  betrothed." 

"  You  did  not  know  the  Duke  then,  Loui?e,  you  had  only 
seen  him  once,  and  could  not  have  been  expected  to  ^ve  him." 

w  Very  true,"  sighed  Louise,  "  I  had  only  seen  hrn  once, 
and  did  not  know  him;  but  for  all  that  I  was  his  betrothed." 

"  But  now,  Louise,  you  have  seen  him  daily  for  a  fortnight, 
and  ought  to  be  sufficiently  well  acquainted  with  him  to  know 
whether  you  can1  love  him  and  be  b.appy  with  him." 


22  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  And  what  good  would  result  if  I  should  answer  no, 
brother?  It  is  true  I  have  passed  fourteen  days  in  the  society 
of  the  Duke  of  Kurland,  and  therefore  had  an  opportunity  of 
becoming  acquainted  with  him.  But  never  once  during  this 
time  did  my  brother  or  mother  ask  me  if  I  could  love  the  man 
whom  they  had  selected  for  my  husband.  To-day,  though, 
the  question  comes  too  late,  for  my  fate  is  irrevocably  sealed. 
I  accept  it  as  becomes  a  princess;  I  submit  to  it  with  patience, 
and  an  honest  purpose  to  bear  it  unmurmuringly.  The  Duke 
is  a  good  man,  and  that  is  always  a  firm  foundation  upon  which 
to  base  a  calm  and  peaceful  existence,  provided  that  the  wings 
of  inclination  are  cropped  so  short  that  they  can  not  fly  beyond 
the  narrow  confines  to  which  they  are  forcibly  restricted." 

"  And  do  your  thoughts  and  wishes  never  fly  out,  sister," 
asked  the  Elector,  fixing  his  eyes  upon  his  sister  with  a  look 
of  warmest  sympathy. 

She  cast  down  her  eyes  and  sighed.  "  Frederick,"  she  said 
timidly  after  a  long  pause — "  Frederick,  let  me  ask  you  one 
question  at  this  parting  hour.  To-day  separates  me  forever 
from  my  past,  and  I  would  not  have  a  single  dark  spot  left 
about  which  my  thoughts  might  revolve,  fruitlessly  striving 
to  brighten  it." 

*'  And  therefore  you  would  learn  of  me  what  has  become 
of  Count  John  Adolphus  von  Schwarzenberg,  and  whether 
I  am  still  at  feud  with  him.  Is  not  that  the  question  you 
wished  to  address  to  me,  Louise?  " 

"  Yes,  brother,  that  is  the  question.  Throughout  these 
long  years  I  have  never  pronounced  his  name,  never  spoken 
of  him  to  any  one.  But  I  know  that  he  contends  with  you,  and 
will  not  bend  to  your  will.  Tell  me  all  you  know  of  him.  Tell 
me  everything,  and  remember  that  in  this  hour  I  lay  the  last 
blossoms  of  memory  upon  the  coffin  of  my  past  before  enter- 
ing upon  a  new  life." 

"  Do  you  know  nothing  at  all  about  him?  "  asked  the  Elec- 
tor, fixing  his  penetrating  glance  upon  her. 

Again  the  Princess  cast  down  her  eyes  and  was  long  silent. 
"  Three  weeks  ago,"  said  she  then,  with  short,  quick  breath — 
"  three  weeks  ago,  on  entering  my  dressing  room,  I  found 
lying  upon  the  table  a  sealed  paper,  addressed  to  me.  It  con- 


BROTHER  AND  SISTER.  23 

tained  the  information  that  Count  John  Adolphus  von 
Schwarzenberg  had  married  a  Countess  Stahremberg." 

"  And  you  doubt  the  truth  of  this  information?  " 

"  I  doubt  it,  because  there  is  no  one  to  confirm  it,  and  be- 
cause I  thought  that " 

"Well,  what  did  you  think,  Louise?" 

"  That  perhaps  some  one  might  have  an  interest  in  per- 
suading me  that  the  count  was  married,  because — because 


"  Because  this  some  one  might  imagine,  that  if  you  be- 
lieved the  count  to  be  married,  you  might  yourself  be  inclined 
to  marry?  You  were  quite  right  in  your  supposition,  sister, 
for  it  was  I  who  sent  you  that  information." 

"  I  thought  I  recognized  your  handwriting,  brother." 

"  I  did  not  disguise  it,  for  I  wanted  you  to  know  from 
whom  it  came."  • 

"  1  thought  I  divined  your  intention  to  be  to  arouse  my 
heart  from  its  melancholy  reveries,  and  warn  it  against  occupy- 
ing itself  with  a  man  on  whom  it  would  be  a  sin  to  think  as 
soon  as  he  was  married.  I  thought  I  divined,  moreover,  that 
I  was  to  be  married  myself,  and  that  you  meant  to  remind 
me  that  the  past  was  irretrievably  gone." 

"  Sister,  you  are  an  acute  and  deep-seeing  diplomatist," 
said  the  Elector,  smiling,  "  and  therefore  I  venture  not  to 
contradict  you.  Yes,  you  understood  rightly  all  that  I  wished 
to  say  to  you,  and  I  thank  you  for  shaping  your  course  accord- 
ingly. It  was  of  the  greatest  consequence  to  me  to  have  an 
ally,  who  might  serve  me  as  a  bulwark  against  both  Sweden 
and  Poland,  and  unite  his  strength  with  mine,  if  I  should 
some  day  take  the  field  against  either  of  these  two  powers. 
Therefore  I  gladly  accepted  the  proposals  of  the  Duke  of  Kur- 
land,  and  therefore  I  thank  you  now  for  having  comprehended 
my  desires  and  acted  in  accordance  with  them.  Now  I  am  cer- 
tain that,  if  there  should  be  war  between  the  Poles  or  Swedes 
and  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg,  I  shall  at  least  have  one  firm 
ally.  My  beloved  sister,  the  Duchess  of  Kurland,  will  take 
care  that  her  husband  be  not  on  the  side  of  my  enemies." 

"  Yes,  brother,  be  assured  of  that.  I  thank  you  for  those 
words,  for  you  give  me  thereby  some  object  in  living.  I  shall 


24  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

now  strive  earnestly  to  deserve  the  Duke's  love,  and  gain  in- 
fluence over  him,  that  I  may  at  some  future  time  be  useful 
to  my  beloved  brother.  But,  brother,  you  have  not  answered 

my  question " 

"  Have  I  not  ?  "  said  the  Elector,  smiling.  "  It  is  true  I 
have  some  further  tidings  to  impart  to  you  concerning  Count 
Schwarzenberg,  the  Emperor  Ferdinand's  favorite.  He  is 
in  high  favor  yet,  it  seems,  and  is  one  of  his  Imperial  Majesty's 
most  trusted  ministers.  And  the  Emperor  shows  his  wisdom 
in  employing  the  count  in  his  service,  for  he  is  a  clever  di- 
plomatist, of  clear  head,  sharp  wit  and  cold  heart,  void  of 
principle,  as  most  politicians  are,  perfectly  unscrupulous,  and 
only  pursuing  his  own  interests,  be  they  personal  or  political. 
Count  Schwarzenberg  belongs  to  the  number  of  my  most  bitter 
opponents,  although  at  present  he  draws  in  his  claws,  and  has 
flattered  and  caressed  my  ambassador  at  Frankfort  in  the  most 
friendly  manner,  in  order  to  make  him  Imperialist  in  his  views. 
Meanwhile  we  are  ourselves  a  little  versed  in  the  arts  and  wiles 
of  diplomacy,  and  will  not  allow  ourselves  to  be  hoodwinked 
by  such  flatteries,  or  give  up  our  litigation  with  the  count. 
He  will  by  and  by  be  forced  to  retreat  from  his  position,  and 
must  see  that  all  things  are  not  progressing  as  he  could  wish 
and  desire.  His  pretensions  to  the  office  of  Grand  Master  of 
the  Knights  of  St.  John  he  has  already  been  obliged  to  give 
up,  and  solemnly  renounce  all  claim  to  it,  because  all  the 
members  of  the  order  declared  that  they  would  not  have  him 
as  their  head.*  But  fortune,  which  seems  particularly  to 
favor  this  aspiring  and  avaricious  young  man,  forthwith  in- 
demnified him  for  his  disappointment.  In  the  first  place  he 
married  the  wealthy  Countess  Stahremberg,  and  then  his 
cousin,  George  Louis  Schwarzenberg,  died  without  heirs,  leav- 
ing Count  John  Adolphus  to  inherit  the  rich  manors  of 
Schwarzenberg  and  Hohen-Landsberg,  and  become  at  the 
same  time  the  head  of  the  family.  It  is  to  be  expected  that 
the  Emperor's  favor  will  grant  to  the  son  the  darling  wish 
of  the  father,  by  changing  Adolphus  Schwarzenberg's  title 
from  count  to  that  of  prince.  This,  sister,  is  all  I  have  to  com- 
municate to  you  with  regard  to  this  man.  But,  no,  I  forgot 
*  Carl  Renains  Hauser's  State  Papers,  vol.  iii,  p.  42. 


BROTHER  AND  SISTER.  25 

to  mention  one  thing:  Despite  the  velvet  paws  which  he  dis- 
plays to  Wesenberg,  he  has  urged  a  complaint  against  me  be- 
fore the  Emperor,  persisting  that  we  owe  him  almost  a  million 
dollars,  because  to  that  sum  amounted  the  advances  of  money 
made  at  different  times  by  Count  Adam  to  our  father.  He 
can  hardly,  however,  prove  the  half  of  these  claims,  and  we 
are  not  disposed  to  pay  unauthorized  debts — in  the  first  place, 
because  it  is  contrary  to  our  sense  of  justice;  and,  secondly, 
because  our  coffers  are  empty.  I  would  indeed  be  glad  if  such 
sums  as  the  count  demands  were  in  my  own  treasury,  for  in 
that  case  many  things  would  be  very  different  from  what  they 
are  now.  For  money  is  power,  and  a  million  of  dollars  would 
be  an  all-conquering  army." 

"  Happy  those  who  can  be  content  with  the  possession 
of  such  an  army!  "  sighed  the  Duchess.  "  Happy  those  who 
have  dethroned  the  heart,  and  find  the  fullness  of  their  wishes 
in  the  gratification  of  their  selfishness  and  ambition!  In  this 
sense  Count  Adolphus  will  be  happy,  and  I  shall  rejoice  that 
it  is  so,  for  personal  satisfaction  is  the  highest  thing  after 
which  men  strive,  and  if  he  finds  his  in  gold  and  titles,  power 
and  influence,  I  shall  not  find  fault  with  him  on  that  score. 
I  have  no  longer  any  interest  in  him.  Thank  you,  dearest 
brother,  for  all  that  you  have  said  to  me;  your  words  have 
been  the  stones  with  which  I  have  immured  recollections  of 
the  past  in  the  vault  of  my  heart.  They  can  never  revive  and 
come  forth  again;  this  thought  even  now  consoles  me.  I 
thank  you  for  all  the  love  which  you  have  bestowed  upon 
me,  and  I  beseech  you  to  keep  a  small  place  in  your  heart  for 
your  absent  sister.  I  shall  have  time  enough  to  think  of  you, 
and  I  am  sure  that  my  dear  brother  will  often  give  me  occasion 
to  hear  of  him." 

"  You  think  then,  sister,  my  name  will  not  be  wholly  ob- 
scure, and  melt  away  into  nothingness?  " 

"  I  know  that  you  will  inscribe  it  in  golden  letters  upon 
the  pages  of  history.  I  know  that  through  you,  Branden- 
burg will  become  great  and  powerful,  and  that  you  will  win 
honor  and  fame  from  the  whole  world." 

The  Elector's  countenance  grew  radiant  and  a  wondrous 
smile  lit  up  his  features.  "  I  thank  you,  sister,"  said  he  sol- 


26  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

emnly;  "  may  you  be  a  true  prophetess.  The  honor,  fame, 
and  greatness  of  my  country  are  the  ends  for  which  I  strive, 
which  I  shall  pursue  with  unceasing  ardor.  Truly,  these  are 
objects  well  worthy  the  devotion  of  a  whole  life." 

"  And  love,  brother?  Shall  love  have  no  share  of  your 
life?" 

"  No,  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  her,"  replied  the  Elector, 
almost  roughly.  "  All  I  ask  of  her  is  to  keep  at  a  distance 
and  not  divert  me  from  my  high  pursuits.  I  envy  her  not 
her  myrtle  crown.  May  she  not  prevent  me  from  earning 
at  least  one  laurel  wreath  for  my  grave.  But  hark!  sister,  the 
posthorns  blow,  and  your  husband  will  be  vexed  with  me  for 
detaining  his  Duchess  so  long  from  his  side." 

"  The  hour  of  departure  has  come,"  sighed  the  Duchess. 
"  I  must  bid  you  farewell,  Frederick,  must  leave  behind  my 
home  and  family!  Oh,  forget  me  not  in  your  joy  and  pros- 
perity; think  of  the  solitary  sister,  who,  afar  off,  desolate  and 
in  retirement,  will  pine  away  longing  for  her  home,  brother, 
sister,  and  mother.  Brother,  let  me  kiss  you  once  more;  who 
knows  whether  it  will  not  be  for  the  last  time  in  this  life?  " 

"  Come,  sister,  come  to  your  brother's  heart,  your  truest, 
best  friend,  who  will  never  cease  to  love  you!  " 

They  held  each  other  in  a  long,  close  embrace,  and  then 
exchanged  tender  glances,  the  eyes  of  both  being  moistened 
with  tears. 

"  Farewell,  Frederick! " 

"  Farewell,  Louise! " 

"  Give  me  JOMT  hand  and  lead  me  out;  I  will  not  weep, 
for  the  Duke  shall  not  think  that  I  follow  him  unwilling- 
ly! " 

"You  have  a  noble,  courageous  heart!  Come,  beloved 
sister!  May  God's  blessing  attend  you,  and  love  gladden  your 
days!  Come,  I  will  lead  you  to  your  husband." 


THE  OFFER  OP  MARRIAGE. 


IV. — THE  OFFEB  OF  MABBIAGE. 

THE  carriages  rolled  through  the  palace  gate  and  across 
the  cathedral  square,  where  the  people  were  still  collected 
in  scattered  groups,  greeting  the  young  ducal  pair  with  friend- 
ly cheers  as  they  passed.  The  Elector  stood  upon  the  small 
landing  place  before  the  palace,  and  followed  the  retreating 
equipages  with  mournful  glances,  until  the  last  had  disap- 
peared around  the  corner  of  the  square,  when  he  turned  and 
slowly  re-entered  the  palace. 

How  silent  and  desolate  it  seemed  as  he  now  mounted  the 
stairs  and  walked  down  the  long  corridor!  How  melancholy 
he  felt  as  he  passed  the  doors  leading  to  the  apartments  of  his 
mother  and  sisters!  He  was  alone,  quite  alone!  No  one  there 
to  look  upon  him  with  friendly,  sympathizing  eyes,  no  one 
to  greet  him  with  kind  words  of  affection. 

It  made  him  sad,  but  he  would  not  acknowledge  it  to  him- 
self; the  Elector  Frederick  William  would  not  allow  himself 
to  be  a  foolish,  lovelorn  man! 

"  He  who  would  be  great  must  be  solitary,"  said  he  to  him- 
self, while  involuntarily  he  shook  his  head.  "  He  who  dedi- 
cates himself  to  ambition  and  renown  dare  not  admit  other 
feelings  into  his  heart,  and  weakly  long  for  human  love.  Be 
courageous  and  resigned  then,  Frederick  William!  You  are 
not  alone,  for  the  hopes  of  your  future  are  with  you.  You  are 
not  solitary,  for  you  have  a  people  to  love  and  make  happy. 
Lift  up  your  head  and  look  aloft.  We  build  for  the  future, 
and  a  sorry  edifice  it  will  be  if  we  do  not  with  joyful  zeal  devote 
to  it  every  energy  of  our  nature." 

And  as  he  thus  spoke  his  countenance  grew  radiant,  and 
he  threw  his  head  proudly  and  boldly  back.  Thus  he  entered 
his  cabinet  and  began  to  sing  in  a  rich,  manly  voice  the  melody 
of  his  favorite  song.  Then,  as  if  his  heart  felt  strengthened 
by  the  song,  he  began  to  add  words  to  the  melody: 

"  At  Liitzen,  that  field  crowned  with  glory  and  light — hurrah ! 
Gustavus  Adolphus,  the  hero,  gave  fight — hurrah ! 
He  died  for  the  truth,  which  he  lived  to  defend ; 
How  brave  was  his  life  and  how  noble  his  end  I 
3 


28  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

Now  '  God's  will  be  done ! '  was  his  watchword  till  death, 
'  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ '  his  sole  refuge  by  faith — hurrah  ! 

"  Now  Pappenheim  and  the  fierce  Wallenstein  swore — hurrah ! 
At  Ltltzen  that  Sweden  should  conquer  no  more — hurrah ! 
Gustavus  and  Bernhard,  though,  suffered  it  not, 
And  drove  their  proud  enemies  quick  from  the  spot. 
The  Emperor's  troops  broke,  faltered,  and  fled ; 
Lo  1  Sweden  has  conquered — her  King,  though,  is  dead  ! " 

"Well,  what  will  you  have,  Kunkel?"  asked  he,  break- 
ing off  in  his  song,  as  the  door  of  the  antechamber  opened  hur- 
riedly, and  the  chamberlain  made  his  appearance. 

"  Gracious  sir,  the  Lord  High  Chamberlain  von  Burgs- 
dorf  is  without  in  the  anteroom,  accompanied  by  three  strange 
gentlemen,  and  requests  an  audience  with  your  Electoral 
Grace." 

"  Open  the  doors  then,  and  admit  the  gentlemen,"  said  the 
Elector,  as  he  arose  from  his  seat  and  turned  his  flashing  eyes 
toward  the  door,  in  which  appeared  the  Lord  High  Chamber- 
lain von  Burgsdorf,  followed  by  three  lords  gorgeously  ar- 
rayed in  gold-embroidered  suits.  Each  of  them  held  in  his 
right  hand,  set  off  by  rich  plaited  lace  cuffs,  a  letter  bearing 
a  massive  seal,  and  not  upon  the  Elector  but  this  letter  did 
they  gaze  with  serious  and  solemn  mien. 

"  Your  Electoral  Grace,"  said  Conrad  von  Burgsdorf,  en- 
deavoring to  make  his  red  face  assume  an  expression  of  gravity 
— "  your  Electoral  Grace,  I  entreat  the  privilege  of  present- 
ing these  lords.  They  are  three  ambassadors  extraordinary 
from  Bavaria,  Saxony,  and  the  Electorate  of  Mentz.  Here  is 
Baron  von  Straubing,  ambassador  from  the  Elector  of  Bavaria; 
the  second  lord  is  Count  Fleming,  ambassador  extraordinary 
of  the  Elector  of  Saxony;  and  the  third  lord  is  Baron  von 
Thumen,  ambassador  from  the  Elector  of  Mentz." 

"  And  what  would  these  ambassadors  extraordinary  from 
the  three  Electors  have  of  me?  "  asked  the  Elector. 

"  We  each  beg  to  be  permitted  to  hand  to  the  Elector  of 
Brandenburg  a  missive  sent  by  our  several  Sovereigns,"  re- 
plied Baron  von  Straubing,  with  bold  step  approaching  the 
Elector  and  holding  out  to  him  the  letter. 

Already  had  Frederick  William  stretched  out  his  hand  to 


THE  OFFER  OF  MARRIAGE.  29 

take  it,  when  Burgsdorf  thrust  himself  between  him  and  the 
Bavarian  envoy,  whom  he  repulsed  with  a  haughty  gesture. 

"  You  know  very  well  what  my  office  is,"  said  he,  with 
loud,  angry  voice;  "  and  you  also  know  very  well,  Sir  Ambas- 
sador, that  sovereigns  are  not  accustomed  to  have  letters  stuck 
into  their  hands  in  that  unceremonious  fashion,  as  if  they  were 
love  letters  too  precious  to  be  seen  by  other  eyes.  His  Elec- 
toral Grace,  however,  has  no  such  especial  love  and  intimacy 
with  any  Elector  in  the  German  empire  as  to  warrant  this 
love  letter  style  of  correspondence.  Therefore  I  must  beg 
of  your  lordships  to  place  your  letters  in  my  hands  for  further 
transference  to  his  Electoral  Grace." 

"  We  beg  pardon !  "  cried  both  the  other  envoys,  immedi- 
ately coming  forward;  "  we  were  expressly  directed  by  our 
masters  to  transmit  this  writing  to  his  Electoral  Grace  in 
person." 

"  Then  give  them  to  me,  sirs,"  said  the  Elector,  again  ex- 
tending his  hand.  "  I  am  ready  to  receive  your  writing." 

"  No,  Sir  Elector,  no  I  can  not  suffer  that! "  cried  Burgs- 
dorf with  scarlet  face.  "  It  is  an  infringement  of  my  rights, 
and  I  will  not  allow  etiquette  to  be  so  totally  laid  aside.  These 
gentlemen  say  that  their  lords  directed  them  to  hand  their 
letters  to  your  Electoral  Grace  in  person,  but  they  have  for- 
gotten most  humbly,  with  the  reverence  due  your  grace,  to 
ask  permission  to  execute  their  master's  instructions.  It  is 
by  no  means  enough  that  the  other  Electors  have  a  will;  the 
Elector  of  Brandenberg  has  also  a  will  of  his  own,  and  since 
he  has  been  kind  enough  to  constitute  me  lord  high  chamber- 
lain, I  must  needs  perform  the  duties  of  my  office  and  repel 
every  transgression  of  the  laws  of  etiquette.  Most  gracious 
sir,  I  accordingly  beg  for  these  three  gentlemen,  envoys,  who 
have  appeared  here  most  humbly  and  reverentially,  the  high 
privilege  of  being  permitted  to  put  their  Sovereigns'  letters 
into  your  exalted  hands.  Will  you  condescend,  sir,  to  tell  me 
whether  you  can  grant  them  this  favor?  " 

"  Yes,  lord  high  chancellor,"  replied  the  Elector,  smiling, 
"  I  will  accord  to  these  envoys  permission  to  deliver  to  me 
the  communications  they  bring  from  their  Electors." 

Conrad  von  Burgsdorf  turned  with  a  solemn  air  of  im- 


30        THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

portance  to  the  ambassadors:  "  Gentlemen,  his  Electoral 
Grace  most  graciously  condescends  to  receive  your  dispatches! 
Draw  nearer  then;  his  highness  permits  you  so  to  do! " 

The  envoys  advanced,  although  visibly  disconcerted,  while 
Burgsdorf,  with  flushed,  triumphant  face,  stepped  aside,  in  full 
consciousness  of  having  maintained  his  dignity. 

The  Elector  took  the  three  letters  and  broke  open  the 
first  one.  With  composed  and  smiling  features  he  read  its 
contents,  and  then  laid  it  aside  upon  his  writing  table. 

"  Are  the  three  communications  alike  ?  "  asked  he,  open- 
ing the  second  missive. 

"  Yes,  your  Electoral  Highness,  exactly  alike." 

"  Then  I  can  spare  myself  the  trouble  of  reading  them, 
and  it  is  enough  that  I  have  read  the  Elector  of  Bavaria's 
letter.  It  is  verily  worded  in  a  tolerably  haughty  and  wrath- 
ful tone,  and  accuses  me  of  strange  things." 

"  Strange  things  indeed.  Your  Electoral  Highness,  gave 
occasion  thereto,"  replied  Count  Fleming  briskly.  "  Your 
highness'  envoy  at  Frankfort  seems  to  desire  to  introduce  some 
startling  novelties,  and " 

"Ah,  Sir  Count,"  interrupted  the  Elector,  "you  would 
continue  in  the  same  tone  adopted  by  the  Electors  in  writing 
to  me;  I  therefore  relieve  you  of  the  trouble  of  proceeding, 
and,  instead  of  contending  with  you,  begin  our  controversy 
by  reference  to  your  lords'  letters — Chamberlain  von  Burgs- 
dorf, read  aloud  to  me  this  portion  of  the  Electoral  communi- 
cation, for  it  contains  the  substance  of  the  whole,  the  rest 
being  mere  courtly  formalities." 

He  handed  Burgsdorf  the  paper,  and  pointed  out  with 
his  finger  the  place  designated. 

" '  It  has  been  almost  with  astonishment  that  we  have 
perceived,  through  the  advices  of  our  representatives,  that 
the  Brandenburg  deputy  to  the  Diet,  holding  its  sitting  at 
Frankfort,  has  almost  universally  refused  his  consent  to  meas- 
ures unanimously  adopted  by  all  the  other  Electoral  delegates, 
giving  as  his  excuse  that  he  had  not  received  instructions.  We 
hope  that  Brandenburg  will  not  be  disposed  to  introduce  novel- 
ties opposed  to  the  declared  sense  of  the  whole  body  of  Elec- 
tors and  established  usage.  Else  we  must  esteem  this  a  most 


THE  OFFER  OF  MARRIAGE.  31 

dangerous  and  hurtful  innovation,  and  feel  compelled  to  pro- 
test against  it,  while  we  beseech  Brandenburg  to  adhere  to 
time-honored  customs  and  the  union  of  Electors,  and  beg 
the  Elector  to  give  his  envoy  instuctions  to  that  effect.*  For 

the  rest  we  remain '  " 

"Enough!"  interrupted  the  Elector.  "The  rest  is  mere 
formality,  and  we  have  not  time,  like  the  delegates  of  the 
German  Empire  at  Frankfort,  as  also  those  at  Miinster  and 
Osnabriick,  to  attend  to  the  details  of  formality  and  etiquette. 
Hear  now,  gentlemen,  my  reply  to  this  threatening  address 
of  the  Electors,  and  have  the  goodness  to  pay  good  heed,  for 
I  do  not  intend  to  send  an  answer  in  writing!  You  may  re- 
port to  your  several  lords  what  I  say  to  you.  Above  all  things," 
continued  the  Elector  with  elevated  voice — "  above  all  things 
announce  to  the  Electors  that  Brandenburg  does  not  intend 
to  be  intimidated  and  frightened  by  evil  and  menacing  lan- 
guage, and  that  it  is  not  sufficient  for  the  Electors  to  solicit 
me  to  adhere  to  time-honored  customs,  to  submit  to  the  de- 
cisions of  the  majority,  and  to  introduce  no  innovations.  Say 
to  the  Electors  that  it  is  not  at  all  in  accordance  with  my  views 
and  designs  to  submit  patiently  to  what  is  decided  by  the  ma- 
jority of  the  Diet  at  Frankfort  or  any  other  place,  and  that  I 
am  fully  prepared  to  introduce  novelties.  If  I  should  always 
allow  myself  to  be  ruled  by  the  majority,  I  would  ever  come 
off  worst  in  the  contest,  and  be  behind  all  the  other  Electors. 
I  would  also  be  often  compelled  to  vote  against  the  peculiar 
interests  of  my  land  and  people,  thus  entailing  misfortune 
upon  them;  for  well  do  I  know  that  Brandenburg  has  few 
friends  in  the  German  Empire  and  among  the  German  Princes. 
I  know  that  the  universal  cry  is,  '  the  Electorate  of  Branden- 
burg shall  be  kept  down,'  and  that  the  votes  of  the  Princes  and 
their  representatives  will  correspond  to  this  cry.  My  watch- 
word, though,  is,  '  Brandenburg  shall  rise.'  That  I  may  give 
her  consideration  in  the  German  Empire,  it  becomes  me  not 
to  succumb  to  any  or  be  ruled  by  the  majority,  but  I  must  needs 
go  boldly  and  independently  forward  in  my  own  way,  and 
express  and  maintain  my  opinions  in  the  face  of  the  whole 
world.  But  least  of  all,  gentlemen,  do  I  feel  disposed  to  be 
*  See  Droysen,  History  of  Prussian  Politics,  vol.  iii.  part  1,  p.  281. 


32  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

governed  by  the  majority  of  this  Diet  at  Frankfort,  which 
meddles  with  many  things  by  no  means  concerning  it,  while 
it  neglects  matters  coming  properly  within  its  province.  We 
summoned  this  Diet  to  determine  questions  relating  to  law 
and  justice,  common  to  all  Germany,  and  instead  of  that  they 
have  busied  themselves  there  with  things  altogether  differ- 
ent, viz.,  with  matters  of  conscience  and  religion,  which  ought 
to  be  decided  at  Miinster  or  Osnabriick.  Therefore  my  envoy 
at  Frankfort  does  well  in  not  consenting  to  what  the  other 
delegates  have  done,  in  deciding  matters  that  ought  never 
to  have  been  discussed  by  that  Diet.  For  the  rest,  I  beg  you, 
gentlemen,  to  tell  your  lords  from  me  that  I  shall  ever  hold 
myself  in  cheerful  readiness  to  unite  with  them  in  endeavor- 
ing to  promote  the  interests  of  the  empire.*  This  is  the  an- 
swer, which  I  have  to  impart  to  the  written  communications 
of  the  Electors;  and  now,  gentlemen,  you  are  dismissed! " 

He  greeted  them  with  a  short  nod  of  his  head,  and  stood 
proudly  erect,  while  the  ambassadors  bowed  low,  and  with 
measured  tread  and  crestfallen  countenances  left  the  apart- 
ment. The  Lord  High  Chancellor  von  Burgsdorf  followed 
with  triumphant  mien,  but  only  a  few  minutes  had  elapsed 
ere  he  returned  to  the  cabinet. 

"  Your  highness,"  said  he  gayly,  "  this  seems  to  be  indeed 
the  day  of  grand  audiences.  Your  delegate  to  Frankfort  is 
in  the  antechamber,  besides  two  other  gentlemen — an  ambas- 
sador from  Emperor  Ferdinand  and  one  from  the  King  of 
France.  Whom  shall  I  admit  to  audience  first?  " 

"  Him  who  has  undoubtedly  the  right  of  precedence,"  re- 
plied the  Elector.  "  Usher  in  the  Emperor's  envoy." 

Burgsdorf  hurried  out  and  returned  immediately,  accom- 
panied by  a  grave,  proud-looking  lord,  in  the  full  dress  of  a 
Spanish  courtier. 

"  Your  Electoral  Highness,"  announced  Burgsdorf,  step- 
ping close  up  to  Frederick  William  and  making  a  profound 
bow,  "  Count  von  Trautmannsdorf,  the  envoy  of  his  Majesty 
Emperor  Ferdinand,  on  his  way  to  Osnabriick,  wishes  to  be 
presented  to  your  highness." 

"It  is  you  then,  count,  whom  his  German  Majesty  has 
*  The  Elector's  own  words.  See  Droysen,  p.  282. 


THE  OFFER  OF  MARRIAGE.  33 

deputed  to  attend  the  council  at  Osnabriick!  "  cried  the  Elec- 
tor, with  animation.  "  I  congratulate  the  German  Empire, 
nay,  all  Europe,  upon  the  circumstance,  for  it  is  known  to 
all  the  world  that  Count  von  Trautmannsdorf  is  not  merely 
a  highly  polished,  noble,  and  incorruptible  gentleman,  but 
of  humane  and  impartial  mind.  Of  such  men  we  have  especial 
need  now  in  the  councils  of  Miinster  and  Osnabriick,  where 
questions  are  to  be  settled  touching  the  welfare  of  Europe 
as  well  as  of  the  German  Empire." 

"  Your  Electoral  Grace  does  me  too  much  honor,  indeed," 
said  the  count,  smiling;  "  but  I  shall  at  least  use  my  utmost 
endeavors,  in  passing  to  and  fro  from  Osnabriick  to  Miinster, 
to  soothe  and  moderate  party  contentions." 

"  And  you  will  be  doing  a  noble  deed,  count,"  said  the 
Elector  kindly.  "  Only  impress  it  on  the  delegates  first  of 
all  to  confine  their  attention  to  the  principal  subjects  for 
consideration,  and  not  to  waste  so  much  time  upon  mere 
preliminaries — not  to  wrangle  and  dispute  about  rank  and 
titles,  but,  laying  aside  all  such  trifling,  give  themselves  to 
their  serious  and  important  work.  All  Europe  looks  to  these 
assemblies  at  Miinster  and  Osnabriick;  all  people  are  hoping 
for  their  different  religious  creeds  to  be  guaranteed  to  them, 
and  hope  for  the  settling  of  all  controversies  relating  to 
Church  and  religion.  What  an  impression  will  be  made  when 
it  is  seen  that  these  men,  who  ought  to  give  peace  to  princes 
and  people,  have  commenced  by  quarreling  with  each  other 
over  pitiful  and  wholly  irrelevant  questions  of  etiquette!  Call 
the  attention  of  the  counselors  to  this  matter,  count;  tell  the 
representatives  of  the  great  powers  not  to  arrogate  too  much 
to  themselves,  and  tell  the  representatives  of  small  provinces 
and  princes  not  to  be  too  aspiring  and  expect  to  be  placed 
upon  a  footing  of  equality  with  the  great  States." 

"  I  shall  attend  with  punctiliousness  and  devotion  to  exe- 
cuting your  commands,  and  act  upon  your  wise  advice,"  re- 
plied Count  Trautmannsdorf,  bowing  reverentially.  "  Your 
Electoral  Grace  will,  however,  permit  me,  I  hope,  to  address 
my  representations  to  his  own  deputy?  " 

"  If  his  demeanor  demands  it,  do  so,  count.  Only  I  beg 
of  you  to  consider  that  his  task  is  totally  different  from  that 


34  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

of  any  other  person  there.  The  Electorate  of  Brandenburg 
is  the  youngest  of  the  Electoral  houses,  and  has  hitherto  been 
the  smallest  and  most  insignificant.  I  well  know  the  general 
desire  to  keep  under  its  growth  and  prevent  its  advancement 
in  importance.  I  know,  too,  that  I  will  just  the  opposite,  and 
desire  to  be  as  great  and  powerful  as  my  fellow-sovereigns. 
If  Brandenburg  is  small,  it  only  follows  that  she  must  increase 
in  size;  if  she  is  reproached  with  youth,  every  day  will  remedy 
the  fault,  and  her  hereditary  privileges  should  not  surely  be 
curtailed  on  that  account." 

"  And  no  one  I  hope  entertains  such  a  thought,  your  high- 
ness," exclaimed  Count  Trautmannsdorf  eagerly.  "  But  least 
of  all  suspect  his  Imperial  Majesty  of  such  intentions.  It 
lies  near  to  his  heart  that  your  highness  should  everywhere 
receive  the  honor  and  devotion  due  you,  for  his  Majesty 
cherishes  a  peculiar  affection  for  your  grace,  and  so  ardently 
wishes  your  success  and  prosperity  that  he  would  be  happy 
to  contribute  to  them  in  every  possible  way." 

"If  his  Imperial  Majesty  is  indeed  so  graciously  disposed 
toward  me,  I  can  not  doubt  but  that  I  shall  be  ultimately 
fortunate." 

"  Your  grace,  however,  should  on  your  side  prove  to  the 
Emperor  that  you  are  sincerely  desirous  to  hold  friendly 
relations  with  him." 

"  I  should  esteem  myself  happy  to  be  allowed  the  oppor- 
tunity of  proving  this,"  interposed  Frederick  William  hastily. 

"  Excuse  my  bluntness,  sir,  but  the  Emperor  in  the  great- 
ness of  his  condescension  has  himself  devised  a  sure  means 
of  restoring  the  most  cordial  relations  between  himself  and 
the  most  favored  of  German  princes.  You  see,  your  highness, 
that  the  Emperor  loves  you,  for  he  has  been  pleased  to  offer 
you  the  hand  of  his  beloved  daughter,  the  Archduchess 
Anna  Maria  of  Austria.  He  purposes  to  endow  the  arch- 
duchess so  richly  that  your  wealth  shall  be  greater  than  that 
of  any  other  sovereign  in  the  empire.  He  desires  to  call  you 
his  son-in-law,  and  to  give  you  honor  and  distinctions  in  the 
eyes  of  all  Europe.  Only  say,  most  gracious  sir,  will  you  re- 
ceive this  confidential  intimation  favorably,  and  will  you 
pay  your  addresses  to  the  daughter  of  the  Emperor?  " 


THE  OFFER    OF  MARRIAGE.  35 

"  Truly,  count,  you  dazzle  my  eyes  by  giving  me  a  glimpse 
of  a  future  brilliant  as  the  sun  itself.  The  little  Elector  of 
Brandenburg  become  the  son-in-law  of  the  exalted,  mighty 
Emperor  of  Germany — be  raised  by  his  lord's  condescension 
to  so  prominent  a  position  in  the  eyes  of  all  Europe!  I  repeat 
it,  count,  my  eyes  are  quite  dazzled  by  the  glorious  pros- 
pect! " 

"  But  does  your  grace  accept  my  offer?  " 

"  How  can  you  ask  such  a  question,  count — as  if  any  one 
could  see  the  gates  of  paradise  opened  and  refuse  to  enter 
in!  Am  I  to  be  the  Emperor's  son-in-law,  and  husband  to 
the  most  charming  and  richest  of  princesses!  And  will  this 
Princess  not  merely  make  the  sacrifice  of  deigning  to  bestow 
her  hand  upon  me,  but  for  my  sake  give  up  her  religion  and 
adopt  that  of  my  house?  " 

"  What,  your  highness,"  asked  the  count,  whose  radiant 
face  suddenly  assumed  an  expression  of  gravity  and  horror, 
"  can  you  suppose  that  the  Archduchess  Anna  Maria  could 
give  up  her  religion?  " 

"  Did  you  not  say,  count,  that  the  Emperor  would  not 
reject  my  proposals  for  the  hand  of  the  Archduchess  Anna 
Maria,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  would  graciously  accept  me 
as  his  son-in-law  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  highness,  I  did  say  so,  but " 

"  Well,  and  was  not  that  saying  tacitly  that  the  arch- 
duchess was  ready  to  renounce  her  faith  and  adopt  the  Cal- 
vinist  creed?" 

"  By  no  means,"  cried  Count  Trautmannsdorf ,  perfectly 
shocked.  "  The  archduchess  renounce  the  Holy  Catholic 
religion  and  turn  Calvinist!  That  is  simply  impossible!  " 

"Impossible,  count?"  asked  the  Elector,  in  unruffled 
tones.  "  Surely,  if  his  Majesty  has  seriously  entertained 
thoughts  of  forming  such  an  alliance,  small  as  the  house  of 
Brandenburg  is,  he  can  not  have  overlooked  the  existence  of  a 
family  law,  requiring  the  wife  of  the  reigning  head  of  the  fami- 
ly to  profess  the  religion  of  her  husband.  I  may  add  that 
I  am  firmly  convinced  myself  that  there  is  no  happy  union 
where  man  and  wife  do  not  profess  the  same  faith,  and  I  have 
made  up  my  mind  never  to  wed  a  princess  of  a  different  creed 


36  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

from  my  own.  I  hope,  however,  this  will  prove  no  obstacle 
to  my  marriage  with  the  archduchess,  and  that  the  Princess 
will  adopt  the  faith  of  my  house  and  family." 

"Indulge  no  such  hopes/ sir!"  cried  the  count.  "An 
archduchess  of  Austria  can  never  forsake  the  religion  of  her 
fathers,  and  never  would  the  Emperor  give  his  consent  to  it. 
But  if  your  highness  insists  upon  that  point,  there  is  yet  an- 
other means  of  bringing  about  a  unity  in  religion.  The  arch- 
duchess is  a  Catholic,  it  is  true,  and  a  pious  Catholic.  How 
infinitely  happy  would  it  make  her,  and  what  a  high  proof 
of  love  would  it  be,  if  your  highness  should  determine " 

"  I  hope,"  interrupted  the  Elector  severely — "  I  hope 
you  do  not  mean  to  propose  that  I  should  be  the  one  to  change 
my  religion!  No,  I  am  convinced  that  you  would  not  ven- 
ture to  propose  such  a  thing  to  me!  I  tell  you,  that  nothing 
in  the  world  could  induce  me  to  change  my  religion." 

"  That  is  to  say,"  sighed  the  count,  "  a  union  with  the 
archduchess  is  impossible." 

"  If  that  is  the  case,  count,  I  beg  you  not  to  forget  that  it 
is  not  I  who  makes  it  impossible,"  exclaimed  the  Elector,  with 
warmth.  "I  should  be  happy  to  receive  a  wife  at  the  Em- 
peror's hands,  only  I  must  not  be  expected,  in  order  to  attain 
this  happiness,  to  burden  my  conscience,  and  have  cause  to 
blush  before  God  and  my  people.  Tell  the  Emperor  this. 
Tell  his  Majesty  that  I  am  deeply  touched  by  the  high  honor 
so  graciously  destined  for  me,  and  that  it  is  not  my  fault  in- 
deed if  I  am  compelled  to  decline  it.  May  the  Emperor  in  his 
condescension  make  allowance  for  me,  and  not  turn  from 
me  his  favor.  To  this  end  intercede  for  me  with  the  Emperor; 
and  assure  him,  moreover,  that  I  shall  not  take  a  wife  from  any 
house  whose  interests  oppose  those  of  his  Majesty,  but  that  I 
am  most  anxious  to  prove  how  dear  to  me  are  his  approbation 
and  favor.  Have  you  anything  further  to  say  in  the  name  of 
his  Imperial  Majesty?  "  * 

"No,  your  highness;  I  have  finished,"  said  the  count, 
sighing.  "  I  have  the  honor  of  bidding  your  grace  farewell, 
and  requesting  my  dismissal." 

"  God  be  with  you,  Count  Trautmannsdorf,  and  may  your 

*  The  Elector's  own  words.    See  POllnitz,  Memoirs,  vol.  i,  p.  44. 


THE  OFFER  OF  MARRIAGE.  37 

difficult  task  at  Osnabriick  and  Miinster  not  be  dashed  as  sud- 
denly as  my  prospects  for  the  future,  which  in  the  beginning 
you  painted  so  fair  and  left  more  dark  than  ever." 

"  Your  highness,  you  blame  me " 

"  I  blame  nobody,  and  I  hope  that  you  do  neither.  Cir- 
cumstances are  stronger  than  the  will  of  man.  All  this  should 
teach  us  to  be  humble  and  adapt  ourselves  to  circumstances. 
You  are  dismissed,  count!  "  . 

He  gave  him  a  friendly  nod,  and  looked  after  the  silently 
retreating  nobleman  with  an  expressive  smile,  while  with 
folded  arms  he  stood  thoughtfully  in  the  center  of  the  room. 

"  Rebuffed,  completely  rebuffed,"  said  Burgsdorf,  who  had 
opened  the  door  for  the  ambassador,  but  remained  in  the  cabi- 
net. "  Gracious  sir,  I  have  only  one  regret  to  express  at  this 
moment." 

"  Well,  and  what  is  that,  Burgsdorf?  " 

"  Your  highness,  I  regret  that  you  are  not  my  son,  and  that 
I  may  not  address  your  grace  just  as  a  father  might!  " 

"  Truly  you  frighten  me,"  exclaimed  the  Elector,  laugh- 
ing. "  Just  say  at  once,  old  Burgsdorf,  that  you  would  like 
to  scold  me  now  if  I  were  your  son.  Methinks  you  are  im- 
perially minded,  and  think  it  abominable  in  me  not  to  obey 
the  Emperor's  behests  with  all  humility.  You  would  like 
to  scold  me,  would  you  not?  " 

"  No,  your  highness,  no  indeed.  I  am  not  at  all  imperially 
disposed,  and  would  say  nothing  harsh,  but  only  what  is 
affectionate  and  kind." 

"What,  for  example?  I  give  you  permission  to  treat  me 
as  your  son,  and  in  some  sense  I  am  almost  so.  You  used  often 
to  carry  me  in  your  arms  when  I  was  a  child;  taught  me  to 
handle  a  sword,  to  hunt  and  shoot.  In  all  knightly  exercises 
you  were  my  instructor,  generally  a  gentle  and  kind  one,  but 
at  times  strict  and  severe,  as  becomes  a  parent.  Then  for  once 
let  me  consider  myself  as  your  son,  and  you,  speak  as  if  you 
were  indeed  my  father." 

"  You  grant  me  leave  to  do  so  then,  your  highness?  " 

"  I  beg  you  to,  old  father  Burgsdorf." 

"  Well,"  cried  Burgsdorf,  rushing  up  to  the  Elector  with 
outstretched  arms,  "  let  me  embrace  you,  my  son!  I  am  proud 


38  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

of  you,  you  make  me  happy,  and  I  prophecy  for  you  a  glorious 
future!  For  although  you  are  young  and  passionate,  yet  you 
curb  your  spirit  with  the  wisdom  and  moderation  of  a  gray- 
beard.  Although  you  thirst  for  glory  and  renown,  yet  your 
honor  and  independence  are  dearer  to  you  than  aught  else, 
and  you  gave  God  the  glory  while  you  rejected  the  honor  of 
becoming  the  Emperor's  son-in-law." 

"  Thank  you,  father  Burgsdorf,  for  it  pleases  me  to  call 
you  by  that  name,  and  I  trust  that  you  will  ever  love  me  as 
your  own  son! " 

"  I  have  nothing  in  the  world  to  love  besides  yourself,  sir!  " 
cried  Burgsdorf,  the  tears  streaming  down  his  red  cheeks. 
"I  am  separated  from  my  shrewish  wife  and  her  daughter, 
and  so  it  has  come  to  pass  that  on  you  are  concentrated  my  in- 
dividual affections.  Do  not  trample  them  under  your  feet, 
sir,  despise  not  the  offering  of  my  heart." 

"  You  see  that  I  do  not,  old  friend,  for,  what  seldom  hap- 
pens, I  have  opened  my  heart  to  you  and  become  tender.  I 
entreat  you  therefore  to  act  honorably  and  openly  toward 
me,  to  stand  by  me  as  a  father,  and  never  to  conceal  your 
opinions  from  me." 

"  I  promise  you,  sir,  and  now  let  me  resume  my  role  of 
office  and  ceremony.  Most  gracious  sir,  will  you  condescend 
to  receive  the  French  lord  now?  " 

The  Elector  nodded  a  smiling  assent,  and  Burgsdorf 
hastened  to  open  the  antechamber  door. 


V. — THE  FRENCH  AMBASSADOK. 

"  LET  the  Marquis  d'Avaux,  envoy  of  his  Majesty  the  King 
of  France  enter,"  cried  Burgsdorf  in  a  loud  voice,  "  his  high- 
ness is  ready  to  receive  his  excellency." 

A  gentleman  of  small,  trim  figure,  in  a  sky-blue  velvet 
coat,  trimmed  richly  with  gold  lace,  and  a  dress  sword  dangling 
at  his  side,  entered  the  cabinet,  pausing  at  the  door  to  make 
three  profoundly  ceremonious  bows.  Then  he  slowly  ad- 


THE  FRENCH  AMBASSADOR.  39 

vanccd  until  within  a  few  steps  of  the  Elector,  when  he  again 
bowed  so  deeply  that  the  long,  fair  ringlets  encircling  his 
head  fell  over  and  concealed  his  face. 

"  Marquis  d'Avaux,"  said  the  Elector,  "  I  am  glad  to  see 
you  once  more,  for  you  will  know  that  the  last  time  we  met 
you  thought  that  death  was  at  my  heels,  and  that  I  could  not 
escape  him." 

"  Yes  indeed,  your  highness,"  replied  the  marquis.  "  I 
remember  it  very  well.  Our  spies  had  informed  me  that  your 
enemies  in  Poland  had  forged  a  plot  against  your  grace,  and 
hired  murderers  to  fall  upon  you  as  you  passed  through  the 
forest  of  Yablunka  on  your  way  to  Warsaw.  In  my  anxiety 
to  protect  your  precious  life,  I  traveled  day  and  night,  post- 
haste from  Hamburg  to  Konigsberg,  to  warn  your  highness 
of  the  evil  impending,  and  to  beg  you  to  forego  the  perilous 
journey."  * 

"And  yet  I  did  undertake  it,  trusting  in  God  and  my 
own  good  cause,"  said  the  Elector,  with  beaming  coun- 
tenance, "  and  you  see,  marquis,  this  confidence  was  not  mis- 
placed. I  am  alive,  and  hope  that  a  long  life  is  still  before 
me." 

"  A  long  and  glorious  life,  your  highness — a  life  that  shall 
redound  to  the  exaltation  of  your  friends  and  the  confusion 
of  your  foes!  When,  in  spite  of  my  well-founded  warnings, 
I  saw  your  grace,  so  firm  and  unmoved,  setting  out  upon  your 
perilous  journey  with  such  cheerful  courage,  it  seemed  to  me 
as  if  for  a  moment  the  future  were  unveiled,  and  I  could  see 
the  Elector  of  Brandenberg  in  prospective  as  a  laurel-crowned 
hero,  mighty  and  glorious.  I  then  reported  as  the  result  of 
my  observations  to  the  court  of  Versailles:  The  young  Elec- 
tor will  not,  like  his  predecessors,  be  Poland's  humble  vas- 
sal and  the  devoted  servant  of  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  but 
he  will  carve  out  his  own  career,  and  free  himself  from  all 
bondage  and  subjection." 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  good  opinion,"  said  the  Elector, 
smiling.  "  But,  alas!  as  yet  your  prophecies  have  not  been 
fulfilled.  I  am  still  the  vassal  of  Poland,  and  should  I  ven- 
ture to  set  myself  in  opposition  to  the  Emperor  of  Germany, 

*  See  Droysen,  History  of  Prussian  Politics,  vol.  iii,  part  i,  p.  245. 


40  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

I  would  only  ruin  myself,  and  become  the  laughingstock  of 
all  Europe." 

"  No,  gracious  sir!  "  exclaimed  the  marquis  eagerly — "  no, 
it  would  make  you  the  admiration  of  all  Europe,  and  France 
would  joyfully  protect  the  bold,  valiant  young  Prince,  who 
dared  openly  oppose  the  grasping  and  domineering  German 
Emperor." 

"  I  hope  you  have  not  come  to  make  me  such  a  proposi- 
tion," asked  the  Elector  quickly.  "  I  hope  you  do  not  imagine 
that  I  could  be  so  forgetful  of  my  station  and  my  duty  as  not 
to  show  to  the  Emperor  of  Germany  and  the  Holy  Koman 
Empire  that  reverence  and  devotion  Avhich,  as  a  German 
prince,  I  owe  to  the  first  of  all  the  German  princes?  " 

"  Your  highness,  I  would  not  venture  to  make  such  a 
proposition,"  replied  the  marquis,  shrugging  his  shoulders. 
"  I  only  cherish  the  conviction  that,  if  the  Elector  of  Bran- 
denburg and  Duke  of  Prussia  would  rise  to  distinction  and 
power,  he  can  not  attain  them  with  the  consent  and  approval 
of  the  Emperor." 

"  And  did  you  come  from  Hamburg  merely  to  tell  me 
this?" 

"  No,  your  highness;  I  was  sent  from  Hamburg  to  Mini- 
ster, there  to  represent  the  crown  of  France  in  the  congress 
of  warlike  powers.  Thence,  however,  I  have  betaken  my- 
self hither,  to  pay  my  respects  to  your  highness,  in  the  name 
of  his  eminence,  Cardinal  Mazarin,  and. to  convey  to  you  assur- 
ances of  his  eminence's  highest  sympathy  and  admiration. 
With  the  greatest  satisfaction  has  his  excellency  read  the  com- 
munication your  grace  addressed  to  the  King  of  France  upon 
the  announcement  of  his  having  attained  the  years  of  ma- 
jority." 

"Ah!"  cried  the  Elector,  smiling,  "young  King  Louis 
XIV  then  still  allows  Cardinal  Mazarin  to  read  letters  ad- 
dressed to  himself." 

"  The  King  has  such  perfect  confidence  in  the  zeal  and 
capacity  of  the  cardinal  that  he  begins  nothing  without  his 
advice  and  assistance,  and  has  made  no  alteration  in  the  con- 
duct of  affairs." 

"  That  is  to  say,  Cardinal  Mazarin  remains  Regent  of 


THE  FRENCH  AMBASSADOR.  41 

France!  I  thank  you,  marquis,  for  this  notification.  Will  you 
now  tell  me  why  his  excellency  was  so  well  pleased  with  my 
letter  to  the  King  of  France?  " 

"  Your  highness,  if  such  is  your  command  I  will  tell  you, 
although  I  am  convinced  that  you  know  very  well  already." 

"  Well,  I  rather  think  his  eminence  was  pleased  hy  my 
applying  to  the  King  of  France  a  title  which  the  German 
Electors  are  usually  accustomed  to  bestow  only  upon  the  head 
of  the  German  Empire,  the  Emperor  of  Germany.  I  ad- 
dressed him  as  his  Majesty!  " 

"Yes,  your  highness  did  grant  the  King  of  France  this 
title  of  honor.  Both  the  King  and  cardinal  were  highly  grati- 
fied by  this,  and  made  most  anxious  to  testify  their  gratitude 
to  your  highness,  and  prove  the  sympathy  which  they  feel 
for  the  house  of  Brandenburg." 

"It  is  very  pleasant  to  me  to  hear  this,  especially  since 
an  opportunity  presents  itself  at  this  very  time  for  giving  me 
such  a  proof  of  sympathy.  My  representative  at  Minister 
complains  greatly  of  the  haughtiness  of  the  other  delegates 
both  there  and  at  Osnabriick,  reporting  that  no  one  gives  him 
the  honor  and  title  which  he  dutifully  bestows  upon  each 
of  them.  The  French  ambassador,  Baron  Servien,  has  not 
been  more  complaisant  than  the  rest  of  the  body." 

"  Your  highness,  I  am  empowered  to  instruct  Baron  Ser- 
vien as  to  his  course,  and  to  be  his  coadjutor,  and  I  promise 
that  your  Electoral  Highness's  ambassador  shall  have  no  fur- 
ther cause  to  complain  of  the  affection  and  good  will  of  France. 
It  very  nearly  concerns  France  that  your  grace  should  be 
convinced  of  her  friendship  and  desire  to  form  a  closer  alli- 
ance with  Brandenburg.  Nothing  would  be  more  pleasant 
to  his  eminence  than  to  have  your  highness  give  him  the  assur- 
ance that  the  report  of  your  intended  union  with  the  Queen 
of  Sweden  is  unfounded,  because  such  an  union  would  be  in- 
compatible with  your  peace  and  safety." 

"  In  what  respect,  marquis  ?  " 

"  Your  highness,  such  an  aggrandizement  of  the  Elector 
of  Brandenburg  would  fill  all  the  other  German  princes  with 
envy  and  suspicion,  and  would  even  affect  the  balance  of  power 
in  Europe." 


42  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"And  you  think  only  the  German  princes  would  look 
with  unfavorable  eyes  upon  my  marriage  with  the  Queen  of 
Sweden?"  asked  the  Elector  with  a  significant  smile. 

"  The  maritime  powers,  too,  would  certainly  look  with  sus- 
picion and  envy  upon  the  young  King  of  Sweden,  who  would 
be  as  well  Duke  of  Pomerania  and  Prussia  and  master  of  the 
Baltic." 

"And  France,  marquis?" 

"  France  belongs  not  to  the  maritime  powers,  your  high- 
ness; and  if  she  cherishes  the  ardent  wish  that  your  grace 
should  not  marry  the  Queen  of  Sweden,  it  results  from  the 
admiration  and  friendship  entertained  for  you  by  both  the 
King  of  France  and  Cardinal  Marazin,  an  admiration  which 
urges  them  to  use  every  exertion  to  bind  your  grace  lastingly 
to  France.  France  also  has  the  disposal  of  the  hand  of  a  young, 
wealthy,  and  beautiful  Princess,  and  would  gladly  bestow  it 
upon  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg.  Duke  Gaston  of  Orleans, 
uncle  to  my  Sovereign,  has  a  daughter,  and  although  she  has 
been  courted  and  sought  after  by  many  Spanish  and  Italian 
princes,  the  cardinal  would  prefer  you  to  any  other  suitor 
whatever.  This  is  what  his  eminence  bade  me  say  to  you  in 
strictest  confidence,  hoping  that  you  would  see  fit  to  comply 
with  his  desires." 

"  You  indeed  surprise  me,"  said  the  Elector.  "  Forgive 
my  candor  in  admitting  that  up  to  this  time  I  have  never 
thought  of  this  Princess,  and  barely  heard  her  name  men- 
tioned." 

"Your  highness,  what  higher  eulogium  could  you  pass 
upon  the  Princess  of  Orleans.  She  is  young  and  beautiful, 
of  a  royal  house,  cousin  to  the  King  of  France,  and  richly 
endowed  with  worldly  goods.  She  lives  at  the  most  magnifi- 
cent court  of  Europe,  and  no  one  has  been  able  to  say  a  word 
against  her.  Busy  fame  has  not  dared  to  lift  her  eye  to  the 
noble,  princely  maiden,  who  shrinks  in  modesty  and  bash- 
fulness  from  the  gaze  of  the  multitude,  and  only  displays  her 
charms  in  the  narrow  circle  of  her  own  family  and  court." 

"  Truly,  marquis,  you  speak  of  a  miracle  of  maidenly 
beauty,  and  I  regret  that  I  can  not  have  the  happiness  of  be- 
holding the  face  of  this  most  charming  princess." 


THE  FRENCH   AMBASSADOR.  43 

"  Permit  me,  your  highness,  to  show  you  the  portrait  of 
the  Princess  of  Orleans,"  said  the  marquis  joyfully.  He  drew 
from  his  vest  pocket  a  red  case,  which  he  opened,  drawing 
out  quite  a  large  medallion. 

"  Your  highness,"  said  he,  handing  this  to  the  Elector, 
"  behold  the  well-executed  miniature  likeness  of  Princess 
Louise  of  Orleans." 

The  Elector  took  it  and  examined  it  long  and  attentively. 
"  Truly,"  exclaimed  he  then,  "  this  is  a  Princess  of  uncom- 
mon beauty  and  attractions.  Happy  the  man  who  can  woo 
and  win  this  paragon  of  her  sex." 

"  Your  highness,"  whispered  the  marquis,  "  it  depends 
only  upon  yourself  whether  or  not  you  are  the  recipient  of 
this  happiness.  Cardinal  Mazarin  begs  you,  if  the  portrait 
of  the  Princess  pleases  you,  to  accept  it  as  a  little  present  from 
himself,  and  to  make  him  one  in  return." 

"  What  sort  of  one,  marquis?  " 

"  His  excellency  hopes  that  you  will  send  him  a  faithful 
likeness  of  yourself,  that  he  may  show  it  to  the  Princess  of 
Orleans."  * 

"  That  the  Princess  may  despise  me,  and  laugh  at  the  ugly 
little  Elector  of  Brandenburg?  No,  no,  Sir  Marquis,  I  shall 
not  expose  myself  to  such  a  risk,  and  send  my  portrait  to  a 
lady  by  whom  I  am  convinced  beforehand  I  should  be  scorned. 
You  exhibit  to  me  the  likeness  of  an  angel,  a  lovely  fairy,  and 
could  I  be  so  presumptuous  as  to  esteem  it  possible  that  this 
fairy  could  condescend  to  become  the  wife  of  a  wretched  little 
mortal,  who  lives  like  a  country  squire  in  his  sandy  Mark,  and 
could  offer  this  petted  fairy  Princess  from  the  luxurious  court 
of  France  no  home  befitting  her  beauty  or  her  station." 

"Your  grace  then  declines  granting  the  cardinal's  re- 
quest, and  will  not  send  him  your  portrait?  " 

"  To  Cardinal  Mazarin,  with  pleasure,  as  soon  as  I  can  find 
an  artist  capable  of  executing  it.  Hitherto  no  artist  has  arisen 
in  my  poor  domains,  and  we  have  not  even  been  able  to  retain 
those  who  have  visited  us  from  foreign  lands.  I  hope,  though, 
that  it  will  be  different  hereafter,  and  I  shall  have  my  picture 
painted  by  the  first  skillful  artist  who  may  appear,  and  send 

*  Historical.     Vide  Droysen,  History  of  Prussian  Politics,  p.  265. 
4 


44  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

it  to  Cardinal  Mazarin.  But  mind,  it  must  not  be  transferred 
to  the  fair  Princess  of  Orleans,  for,  I  repeat,  I  could  never 
venture  to  woo  so  incomparable  a  beauty!  Say  so  to  Cardinal 
Mazarin.  I  am  not  so  presumptuous  as  to  lift  my  eyes  to  an 
object  which  I  know  to  be  wholly  unattainable  by  me.  How- 
ever, I  thank  his  eminence  for  having  given  me  the  privilege 
of  beholding  such  a  miracle  of  beauty.  It  is  at  once  the  image 
of  a  perfect  fairy  and  a  masterpiece  of  art." 

"  Ah!  it  is  plain  to  see  that  your  highness  is  a  connois- 
seur. This  picture  was  painted  by  the  distinguished  portrait 
painter  Mignard." 

"  It  is  wonderful,  marquis!  I  dare  not  contemplate  it 
longer  lest  I  should  be  perfectly  intoxicated  by  its  beauty. 
Marquis,  take  the  portrait  and  return  it  to  his  eminence." 

"Your  highness,  you  reject  the  portrait?  You  send  it 
back?" 

"  Marquis,  this  likeness  is  too  fascinating — its  setting  too 
magnificent.  For  see,  it  is  set  in  a  double  row  of  the  richest 
diamonds.  It  is  a  present  fit  only  for  a  King,  and  too  hand- 
some for  my  acceptance." 

"  Your  highness,  Cardinal  Mazarin  will  be  sorely  cha- 
grined if  you  do  not  accept  his  portrait  at  least." 

"  What  say  you,  his  portrait?  " 

"  Permit  me  to  explain  myself,  most  noble  sir,"  replied 
the  marquis,  taking  up  in  his  hand  the  miniature,  which  the 
Elector  had  laid  on  the  table  at  his  side.  He  touched  a  little 
spring  on  the  upper  side  of  the  medallion.  The  Princess's  por- 
trait sprang  back  like  the  door  of  r  clock,  and  now  the  marquis 
again  presented  the  medallion  to  the  Elector. 

"  Ha,  just  see! "  exclaimed  Frederick  William,  with  ani- 
mation. "  The  portrait  of  a  man — a  Prince  of  the  Church!  " 

"  The  portrait  of  Cardinal  Mazarin !  " 

"What  a  noble  head!"  said  the  Elector,  examining  the 
picture.  "  How  finely  cut  and  marked  these  features,  and 
what  an  unfathomable  depth  in  those  large  black  eyes!  Ah! 
in  looking  upon  this  face  it  is  not  difficult  to  comprehend 
how  he  has  become  not  only  the  master  and  ruler  of  France, 
but  also  of  women's  hearts." 

"  Your  highness,  Cardinal  Mazarin  is  ambitious  of  holding 


THE  FRENCH  AMBASSADOR.  45 

some  small  place  in  the  heart  of  men  as  well,  especially  in  your 
heart,  your  highness.  He  trusts  that  you  will  at  least  occa- 
sionally bestow  a  favorable  glance  upon  his  likeness,  and  re- 
member that  it  portrays  the  features  of  one  who  cherishes 
the  warmest  admiration  for  you,  and  has  no  more  lively 
desire  than  to  prove  his  devotion  to  your  excellency  by 
deeds." 

"Tell  the  cardinal,"  replied  Frederick  William,  "that 
I  am  happy  to  possess  the  faithful  portrait  of  a  statesman 
whom  I  consider  my  preceptor  in  the  difficult  arts  of  poli- 
tics and  diplomacy,  and  from  whom  I  have  learned  more  than 
from  his  renowned  predecessor  Cardinal  Eichelieu.  He  gave 
to  France  the  glory  as  well  as  the  evils  of  war,  he  gained  bat- 
tles and  won  laurels  for  himself;  but  Mazarin  practiced  the 
more  difficult  art  of  self-control.  He  even  submitted  to 
humiliations  in  order  to  secure  to  France  the  peace  she  so 
much  needed,  he  renounced  his  own  glory  for  the  sake  of  the 
nation,  and  through  policy  has  become  the  hero  of  peace. 
Happy  was  it  for  me  that  not  Eichelieu  but  Mazarin  wielded 
the  helm  of  State  when  I  entered  upon  my  sovereignty.  By 
the  one  I  should  have  been  led  away  to  grasp  the  sword,  and 
side  with  one  of  the  contending  parties,  which  surely  would 
have  been  to  my  destruction.  By  the  other  I  have  been  taught 
the  wisdom  of  prudence  and  self-restraint,  and  I  believe  this 
has  been  most  beneficial  for  me.  Tell  the  cardinal  this,  and 
thank  him  for  his  welcome  portrait.  Say,  moreover,  that  I 
shall  take  good  heed  to  keep  the  lid  closed,  and  refrain  from 
gazing  upon  the  lovely  female  face  smiling  upon  me  from 
that  side." 

"  And  I  can  assure  your  highness,  on  the  cardinal's  behalf, 
that  he  will  await  with  impatience  the  fulfilment  of  your 
promise  to  send  him  your  likeness,  which  he  ardently  desires 
to  own." 

"  Present  my  most  profound  respects  to  his  eminence. 
And  hark  ye,  marquis,  when  you  reach  Miinster  be  mindful  of 
your  promise  to  me!  Eemind  the  members  of  the  council  that 
they  have  been  deputed  by  their  sovereigns  to  bring  about  the 
peace  for  which  all  Europe  languishes,  and  that  it  behooves 
them,  above  all  things,  to  cultivate  friendly  dispositions 


46  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

among  themselves,  and  do  all  to  promote  reconciliation  in- 
stead of  interposing  obstacles  in  its  way! " 

"  Most  gracious  sir,  I  shall  lay  this  wise  admonition  to  my 
own  heart,  as  well  as  endeavor  to  impress  it  upon  the  other 
gentlemen.  It  was  your  grace  who  in  the  Diet  at  Frankfort 
made  the  proposition  of  calling  a  council  of  all  the  contending 
powers  at  Munster  and  Osnabriick,  to  pave  the  way  for  peace 
and  settle  all  matters  of  dispute.  To  you  will  belong  the  praise 
and  gratitude  of  all  Europe  if  the  difficult  task  succeeds.  I 
thank  your  highness  for  my  courteous  reception,  and  beg  to 
be  dismissed." 

"  Go,  marquis,  and  may  God  be  with  you  in  your  difficult 
undertaking.  Tell  Cardinal  Mazarin  that  when  you  left 
me  I  was  again  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  his  like- 
ness! " 

And  the  Elector  smilingly  lifted  the  medallion  from  the 
table,  and  gazed  fixedly  upon  it.  As  soon,  however,  as  the 
gentle  closing  of  the  door  warned  him  that  the  ambassador 
had  departed,  he  closed  the  covering  of  that  portrait,  and 
fixed  his  eyes  upon  the  outside  of  the  medallion,  which  con- 
tained the  likeness  of  the  Princess  Louise  of  Orleans  set  in 
two  rows  of  costly  diamonds. 

A  gentle  rustling  behind  him  interrupted  his  observations, 
and  quickly  lifting  up  his  head  and  looking  round,  he  saw 
behind  him  the  Lord  High  Chancellor  von  Burgsdorf,  who 
was  standing  on  tiptoe,  and  with  outstretched  neck  trying  to 
look  over  his  lord's  shoulder  and  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  medal- 
lion. 

"  Only  see  how  curious  the  lord  high  chamberlain  is! " 
said  the  Elector,  smiling. 

"  Most  gracious  sir,  I  beg  pardon.  I  have  never,  though, 
seen  a  fairy,  and  your  rapturous  enthusiasm  fired  the  heart 
of  even  such  an  old  fellow  as  myself.  Be  pleased  then  to 
vouchsafe  me  a  sight  of  this  enchanting  woman,  this  angel, 
this  fairy!  " 

"Well,  look  at  it,  old  friend!"  cried  the  Elector,  laugh- 
ing, "  but  take  care  not  to  fall  in  love  with  it." 

He  handed  Burgsdorf  the  medallion,  who  took  it  eagerly 
to  inspect  with  impatient  curiosity. 


THE  FRENCH  AMBASSADOR.  47 

"  Zounds!  "  cried  he,  with  an  expression  of  dismay,  almost 
letting  the  medallion  slip  from  his  grasp. 

"  Well,  what  is  the  matter,"  asked  Frederick  William, 
smiling,  "  and  what  means  such  roughness  of  speech  in  ray 
presence?" 

"  Forgive  me,  your  highness;  in  my  surprise  I  forgot  my- 
self; for,  expecting  to  see  an  extraordinary  beauty,  I  was  per- 
fectly shocked  when,  instead  of  that,  I  thought  I  saw  the  image 
of  a  goose." 

"  Weigh  well  your  words,  chamberlain,  and  do  not  forget 
that  you  are  speaking  of  a  royal  Princess!  But  your  com- 
parison is  not  wholly  misplaced.  Those  sleepy,  little  eyes, 
that  low  forehead,  that  projecting  mouth  with  those  vermilion 
lips — well,  yes,  your  comparison  is  not  bad." 

"  And  that  is  what  your  highness  styled  an  angel,  a  charm- 
ing fairy!  Truly,  although  young  in  years,  you  are  already 
a  most  wise  and  astute  politician,  and  I,  although  old  in 
years,  am  nothing  but  a  stupid,  ignorant  old  fellow!  Your 
grace  wished  to  decline  the  fine  French  alliance  and  there- 
fore  " 

"  Yes,  and  therefore  I  represented  myself  as  so  charmed 
by  it!  But  only  confess,  old  man,  the  medallion  has  its  great 
charms  and  is  enough  to  inflame  a  poor  human  heart." 

"  Yes,  gracious  sir,"  said  Burgsdorf,  smiling,  "  I  admit 
that!  The  diamonds  are  fine!  " 

"  More  than  that,  they  are  exquisite.  Let  us  see.  There 
are  twenty-four  diamonds,  all  of  equal  size  and  purity.  The 
diamond  ring  which  my  mother  gave  me  as  a  parting  gift  when 
I  went  to  The  Hague  contained  only  one  diamond,  and  that 
one  not  quite  so  large  as  this  one.  When  I  was  in  great 
pecuniary  embarrassment  I  sold  it  to  a  Jew  at  Amsterdam 
for  five  hundred  ducats.  Oh,  I  remember  yet  very  well,  the 
Jew's  name  was  Abraham,  and  he  lived  on  the  Strand,  No. 
14." 

"  Five  hundred  ducats! "  exclaimed  Burgsdorf,  quite  as- 
tonished. "  This  medallion,  then,  must  be  worth  twenty- 
four  times  five  hundred  ducats!  " 

"  Yes,  twelve  thousand  ducats!  "  smiled  the  Elector.  "  The 
cardinal  seems  to  wish  to  subsidize  me  without  putting  me 


48  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

under  the  necessity  of  making  acknowledgments.  Only  see, 
Burgsdorf,  how  these  brilliants  sparkle!  " 

"  Wonderfully,  sir;  you  see  all  colors  reflected  there! " 

"  Yes;  now  it  emits  red  rays  and  now  blue,  and  besides 
them  see  the  bright  gold  epaulets!  " 

"  What,  most  gracious  sir!  You  see  gold  epaulets  in 
precious  stones! " 

"  More  than  that,  I  see  a  whole  company  of  splendidly 
equipped  troopers  reflected  there!  " 

"  What  can  you  mean,  sir?    I  see  nothing  of  that." 

"  Ah!  Can  I  be  gifted  with  double  sight?  Well,  no  mat- 
ter; we  can  not  occupy  ourselves  with  such  play,  for  we  have 
no  time  for  it  indeed.  We  shall  deposit  this  glorious  medal- 
lion with  its  two  portraits  in  the  strong  box  of  my  writing 
table,  and  there  may  it  rest  securely  until  the  time  comes 
when  I  may  need  it.  And  now,  let  us  talk  of  business  again. 
Did  you  not  recently  visit  at  Koslin  my  widowed  aunt,  the 
Queen  of  Sweden?  " 

"  Yes,  gracious  sir.  You  yourself  bade  me  go  and  con- 
gratulate the  Queen  on  her  fortunate  arrival,  after  her  stay 
in  Denmark,  and  promise  her  Majesty  a  speedy  visit  from 
my  gracious  lord." 

"  And  had  you  nothing  more  to  say  to  the  Queen,  Burgs- 
dorf? " 

"  No,  certainly  not,  your  highness,"  said  Burgsdorf  with 
an  appearance  of  perfect  innocence.  "Your  highness  gave 
me  no  further  commands." 

"  But  my  mother?  Now,  just  see,  the  old  sinner  has  as 
smooth  a  countenance  as  if  he  were  not  uttering  a  false- 
hood." 

"  Gracious  sir,  I  have  uttered  no  falsehood;  I  have  only 
concealed  something,  and  that  merely  because  I  had  given 
the  Electress  a  solemn  promise  to  that  effect." 

"  Ah,  you  acknowledge  then  that  there  was  something 
to  conceal,  and  that  my  mother  intrusted  you  with  some 
errands  for  the  Queen." 

"  Yes,  gracious  sir,  I  acknowledge  it,"  muttered  Burgsdorf, 
quite  confounded.  "But  I  promised  to  betray  nothing  of 
this  to  your  grace." 


THE  FRENCH  AMBASSADOR.  49 

"Never  mind  that,  old  man;  you  can  betray  nothing 
which  I  do  not  know.  Women  are  talkative  even  though 
they  be  princesses,  and  you  may  learn  from  this  not  to  have 
secrets  and  intrigues  with  them!  My  mother  told  me  every- 
thing this  morning  before  she  set  out.  She  commissioned 
you  to  inform  the  Queen  that  she  still  cherished  a  lively 
desire  to  consummate  the  union  between  their  two  children, 
projected  by  the  great  King.  The  message  ran  so,  did  it 
not  ?  " 

"  Yes,  gracious  sir,  it  is  your  mother's  earnest  wish  that 
her  noble  son  Frederick  William  should  become  the  husband 
of  the  Swedish  Queen,  and  she  believes  you  cherish  the  same 
desire;  only  you  are  too  proud  to  woo  directly,  unless  you 
were  certain  that  your  addresses  would  be  favorably  received. 
Therefore  she  requested  the  widowed  Queen  to  write  to  her 
daughter,  urging  her  to  declare  explicitly  whether  she  were 
willing  to  accept  your  grace's  hand." 

"  And  my  royal  aunt  was  so  kind  as  to  reciprocate  my 
mother's  sentiments,  was  she  not?  And  so  eloquently  did  you 
plead  your  cause  that  the  Queen  supposed  your  pen  must  be 
as  ready  as  your  tongue.  She  therefore  desired  you  to  indite 
a  letter  in  her  name  in  which  her  daughter,  the  reigning 
Queen,  was  urgently  solicited  to  relieve  me  from  this  state 
of  painful  uncertainty,  and  to  say  so  if  she  would  accept  my 
proposals,  and  if  not,  by  a  decided  no  deprive  me  of  all  hope. 
Was  not  this  so,  Burgsdorf  ?  " 

"  Yes,  gracious  sir,  this  was  the  tenor  of  the  letter,  which 
I  composed  for  the  widowed  Queen,  and  she  afterward 
copied."  * 

"  And  you  sent  the  letter  direct  to  Queen  Christina,  did 
you?" 

"  Yes,  gracious  sir;  direct  by  the  packet  ship,  which  sails 
every  week  from  Stettin.  The  Queen  herself  wrote  the  ad- 
dress, sealed  it  with  her  seal,  and  wrote  upon  the  back,  more- 
over: '  From  the  widowed  Queen  of  Sweden.  To  be  handed 
to  Queen  Christina  herself.'  " 

"  And  you,  simple-hearted  man,  actually  believe  that  this 
letter  reached  Queen  Christina?  " 

*  Historical.     Vide  Droysen,  vol.  iii,  p.  255. 


50  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

"  The  widowed  Queen  was  convinced  of  this,  your  high- 
ness." 

"  Well,  I  am  convinced  to  the  contrary,  or,  rather,  I  know 
certainly  that  Chancellor  Oxenstiern  intercepted  and  sup- 
pressed the  entire  communication.  But  hark,  old  friend,  I 
am  in  truth  a  little  concerned  to  have  this  matter  definitely 
decided.  Therefore,  since  the  letter  you  wrote  never  reached 
the  Queen,  I  think  it  better  to  send  her  a  living  epistle,  which 
Oxenstiern  can  not  so  easily  suppress." 

"  A  living  epistle,  your  highness?  I  do  not  catch  your 
meaning." 

"  And  I  aver  that  old  Burgsdorf  is  a  stupid  old  fellow! 
When  I  say  a  living  epistle,  I  mean  that  I  purpose  to  send  a 
messenger  to  Queen  Christina  to  repeat  to  her  the  contents 
of  the  lost  letter." 

"  Ah!  I  hegin  to  understand  now! "  cried  Burgsdorf, 
striking  his  fat  red  hand  against  his  forehead. 

"  A  happy  circumstance,"  said  the  Elector,  smiling;  "  for 
you  are  the  very  person  I  mean  to  send  to  Stockholm!  Un- 
doubtedly you  remember  the  contents  of  that  letter?  " 

"  Ah,  your  grace,  I  should  suppose  so,  when  I  spent  two 
days  and  nights  in  its  composition,  and  turned  over  every 
clause  of  the  letter  so  many  times  in  my  head  that  each  word 
is  indelibly  imprinted  upon  my  memory,  and  I  could  declaim 
it  in  the  night  as  a  comedian  his  role." 

"  Well,  go,  old  man,  and  declaim  your  letter  before  the 
young  Queen.  But  not  like  a  parrot  blurting  out  his  whole 
part  at  once,  but  like  an  artist,  rightly  intoning  every  word, 
making  the  proper  pauses,  and  making  his  discourse  impres- 
sive by  the  graces  of  sentiment  and  elocution.  Yes,  I  shall 
send  you  to  Queen  Christina  at  Stockholm,  but  you  must  go 
as  the  widowed  Queen's  messenger,  and  repeat  to  the  daughter 
what  you  previously  wrote  to  her  in  the  mother's  name.  Act 
as  her  mother's  agent,  but  keep  your  eyes  and  ears  open  to  hear 
and  see  all  that  might  be  of  interest  and  importance  to  your 
Elector.  But  make  it  your  first  business  to  observe  Queen 
Christina  herself  narrowly,  and  as  far  as  you  can,  bring  me 
a  faithful  portraiture  of  her  character  and  disposition." 

"  Shall    I   speak   to   her   in   your   name,    gracious   sir? 


THE  FRENCH  AMBASSADOR.  51 

Shall  I  tell  the  young  Queen  how  devoutedly  you  love  her, 
how  you  are  consumed  by  love  for  her,  and  can  no  longer  find 
rest  day  or  night?" 

"  I  positively  forbid  you  to  speak  such  follies.  You  are 
only  to  speak  in  the  Queen  mother's  name,  never  directly  in 
mine;  but  the  mother  may  properly  tell  her  daughter  of  my 
love.  I  have  nothing  to  say  against  it,  only,  all  must  be  within 
the  bounds  of  moderation  and  reason.  I  charge  you  to  say 
nothing  derogatory  to  my  dignity,  always  remembering  that 
I  am  the  man,  and  consequently  the  head,  even  though  my 
wife  should  be  an  empress  or  queen.  Thus  you  are  to  repre- 
sent the  Elector  Frederick  William  to  Queen  Christina!  Not 
as  an  inferior,  who  will  be  perfectly  overwhelmed  by  the  honor 
of  obtaining  her  hand,  but  as  an  equal,  who  with  the  consent 
of  his  own  free  will  woos  the  Queen,  with  the  hope  of  making 
her  happy,  while  expecting  to  receive  the  same  blessing  at 
her  hands." 

"Alas!  most  gracious  sir,"  sighed  Burgsdorf,  "they  say 
that  Queen  Christina  is  very  proud  and  domineering." 

"  Ascertain  for  yourself  if  this  is  so,  Burgsdorf,  and  give 
me  the  result  of  your  observations  with  perfect  sincerity;  for 
I  would  not  have  a  domineering  wife,  who  would  expect  me 
to  be  obedient  and  submissive  to  her — no,  not  if  she  brought 
with  her  as  her  dowry  the  greatest  kingdom  upon  earth! 
Learn,  further,  that  I  am  not  disposed  to  be  known  as  the 
husband  of  the  Queen  of  Sweden,  but  wish  to  make  the  Queen 
of  Sweden  the  wife  of  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg.  Will  you 
take  note  of  this,  Burgsdorf?  " 

"  I  will  take  note  of  it  and  act  accordingly,  most  gracious 
sir." 

"  Well,  then,  make  all  needful  preparations  for  your  jour- 
ney. You  must  set  out  to-morrow  at  the  earliest  dawn,  and 
come  to  me  this  evening  to  receive  my  last  instructions.  You 
will,  of  course,  travel  under  an  assumed  name,  for  it  is  every- 
where known  that  old  Conrad  von  Burgsdorf  is  my  lord  high 
chancellor,  and  Queen  Christina  would  know  directly  that  I 
had  sent  you.  I  shall  expect  you  this  evening,  Burgsdorf." 


52  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 


VI. — THE  LAST  FAREWELL. 

THE  eight  days'  respite  demanded  by  Gabriel  Nietzel  had 
expired.  The  shades  of  night  were  falling,  the  last  night 
which  the  father  and  son  were  to  pass  together.  Gabriel  had 
spent  the  whole  day  in  lonely  solitude  in  the  gloomy,  unfur- 
nished room  which  he  had  rented  for  himself  and  his  son  in 
a  wretched  hut  of  the  suburbs.  In  vain  had  the  child  run  in 
from  the  street  at  intervals  to  beg  "  uncle  "  to  let  him  stay 
with  him;  this  uncle  had  invariably  bidden  him  go  back  and 
play  with  the  other  boys,  and  not  trouble  himself  about  his 
silence  and  dejection.  But  now  that  evening  had  come,  the 
boy,  with  determined  looks  and  almost  defiant  air,  re-entered 
the  chamber,  where  Gabriel  had  been  sitting  at  the  window, 
with  folded  hands  and  tearful  eyes,  watching  his  son  playing 
in  the  street,  and  listening  to  the  lively  tones  of  his  voice  which 
sounded  with  angelic  sweetness  in  his  ears. 

"  I  am  going  to  stay  here  now,  Glaus,"  said  the  boy  posi- 
tively. '  "  I  am  not  going  with  those  wild  boys  any  more,  but 
mean  to  stay  with  you,  uncle!  You  shall  not  drive  me  away, 
as  if  I  were  a  dog!  " 

"  I  have  no  wish  to  do  so,  Eaphael,"  replied  Gabriel,  with 
a  melancholy  smile.  "  If  you  had  not  come  I  should  have 
called  you,  for  we  are  to  take  a  walk  together." 

"  Oh,  that  is  fine — that  is  splendid!  "  cried  the  boy.  "  I 
am  so  glad,  Uncle  Glaus.  You  always  tell  me  such  pretty 
stories  in  our  walks,  and  show  me  so  many  pretty  things. 
Let  us  take  a  long,  long  walk  as  we  did  when  we  came 
here." 

"Where  would  you  like  to  go,  Eaphael?"  asked  Gabriel, 
rising  from  his  seat,  and  drawing  the  hood  of  his  gown  over 
his  head. 

"  I  would  like  to  go  to  the  same  place  I  came  from,"  said 
the  boy  warmly. 

"To  Venice?" 

"Yes,  yes,  to  Venice,"  cried  the  boy,  with  vehemence. 
"  Why  did  you  take  me  away,  Glaus?  It  was  so  pleasant  there 
— so  warm  and  lively  in  the  streets,  so  much  beautiful  green 


THE  LAST  FAREWELL.  53 

water  everywhere,  so  many  handsome  houses,  and  such  a 
bright  blue  sky  above.  Why  did  you  not  leave  me  there  with 
my  grandfather?  " 

"  You  have  forgotten,  Raphael,  your  grandfather  was 
dead;  you  were  there  alone!  " 

"  Dead! "  cried  the  boy,  with  tremulous,  tearful  voice. 
"  You  always  say  that  when  people  go  away  and  leave  their 
children  alone.  My  father  and  mother  are  dead,  too,  but  I 
do  not  believe  it,  old  Glaus.  You  only  say  so  because  you  do 
not  like  me  to  know  that  my  parents  were  bad,  and  went  away 
from  their  poor  little  one  and  would  have  nothing  to  do  with 
him.  The  boys  in  the  street  say  this  is  the  way  of  it,  and  they 
laugh  and  jeer  at  me  because  I  have  no  parents,  and  do  not 
even  know  who  they  were." 

"  The  boys  shall  not  tease  you  or  laugh  at  you  again, 
Raphael,"  said  Gabriel  quickly.  "  You  shall  learn  this  even- 
ing who  your  parents  were.  Come,  give  me  your  hand;  let 
us  be  going." 

"  Where  are  we  going,  Claus?  " 

"  To  a  place  where  I  will  tell  you  about  your  mother. 
Look  once  more  around  the  room,  Raphael,  right  slowly,  that 
a  little  of  your  looks  may  be  left  behind." 

The  boy  laughed,  and  the  silvery  ring  of  this  childish 
laugh  sounded  strange  in  that  bare  and  sordid  room. 

"  How  foolish  you  are  to-day,  Claus!  "  said  the  boy.  "  My 
eyes  are  not  like  those  of  the  prince  in  the  fairy  tale,  that 
turned  everything  to  gold  upon  which  they  rested." 

"  Never  mind,  Raphael.  They  are  like  stars  to  me,  and 
whatever  they  have  shone  upon  will  look  brighter  forever 
in  my  eyes!  One  thing  more  I  have  to  ask  of  you.  Come  here 
to  my  bed." 

He  led  him  into  the  darker  corner  of  the  chamber,  where 
in  a  wretched  press  bed  lay  some  straw,  covered  with  a  black 
woolen  spread. 

"  Kneel  down,  Raphael,"  said  Claus,  with  gentle  voice 
— "kneel  down  and  lay  your  hand  upon  this  couch,  where 
you  have  so  often  heard  me  sigh  and  moan  during  these  last 
nights." 

The  boy  did  as  he  was  bid.    He  knelt  down  by  the  bed- 


54  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

side  and  laid  both  hands  upon  the  coarse  canvas  pillow  stuffed 
with  straw. 

"  Now  say  '  Good  by,  poor  old  Glaus!  May  God  bless  you 
and  forgive  your  sins! ' ; 

The  boy  repeated  the  words  in  his  silvery  clear  voice;  as 
if  impelled  by  an  instinct  of  love  he  leaned  forward  and  pressed 
a  kiss  upon  this  pillow,  which  had  been  wet  with  so  many 
tears  and  warmed  by  so  many  sighs. 

"  Love  me,  good  Glaus! "  cried  the  child,  "  and  every 
evening  when  you  go  to  bed  feel  the  kiss  I  have  given  your 
pillow." 

Gabriel  sank  down  beside  him,  and  with  a  loud  sob  joined 
his  hands  above  his  head.  "  Oh,  it  is  her  spirit  that  lives  in 
him,  her  heart  that  speaks  through  him,"  he  murmured,  while 
the  tears  rolled  down  his  cheeks.  Then  he  started  up,  and 
gently  drew  the  boy  toward  him. 

"  Let  us  go  now,"  he  said,  forcing  his  voice  to  be  firm  and 
composed.  "  You  have  now  taken  your  last  farewell  of  this 
chamber,  and  never  shall  return  here  again." 

He  flung  his  arm  around  the  boy's  neck,  and  drew  him  to 
the  street  door,  which  he  opened. 

"  Eaphael,"  he  said  solemnly,  "  with  the  first  step  you  take 
across  this  threshold,  you  enter  upon  a  new  life.  May  God 
bless  you  and  the  holy  spirit  of  your  mother  attend  you!  Give 
me  your  hand  now  and  let  us  go!  " 

"  Where  are  we  going?  "  asked  the  boy  again,  as,  holding 
Gabriel's  hand,  he  stepped  out  upon  the  street. 

"  I  will  tell  you  when  we  get  there,  meanwhile  let  us  go 
along  in  silence." 

The  child  obeyed,  clinging  more  closely  to  Gabriel,  while 
he  gave  himself  up  to  his  guidance.  Thus  they  passed  rapidly 
and  noiselessly  through  the  deserted  streets,  until  beyond  the 
castle  moat  they  reached  the  Willow-bank  suburb,  which  was 
a  mere  marshy  waste. 

"  Where  are  we  going?  "  asked  the  boy  for  the  third  time. 

"  Raphael,  we  are  going  where  I  saw  your  mother  for  the 
last  time,"  replied  Gabriel,  with  solemn  voice,  continuing 
to  move  forward. 

They  had  now  passed  through  the  suburb,  crossed  the 


THE  LAST  FAREWELL.  55 

Spree  bridge,  and  through  the  solitary  Willow-bank  Gate 
came  out  into  the  open  country. 

The  moon,  shining  with  golden  splendor,  seemed  to  irradi- 
ate with  almost  daylight  brightness  the  broad  expanse  of  sandy 
plain  stretching  out  before  them;  winding  along  in  the  midst 
of  it  an  avenue  of  weeping  willows  marked  the  road  leading 
to  the  fortress  of  Spandow.  The  deep-blue  heavens  were 
sprinkled  with  stars,  which  with  their  glory  made  the  whole 
horizon  seem  like  a  canopy  studded  with  sparkling  gems, 
stretched  by  the  hand  of  God  above  the  earth,  man's  throne. 

But  upon  this  throne  and  beneath  this  heavenly  canopy 
knelt  in  the  silence  of  night  a  poor,  heart-broken  man,  wring- 
ing his  hands,  and  lifting  his  tear-dimmed  eyes  to  heaven 
with  a  look  of  intense  longing,  as  if  among  these  myriads 
of  stars  and  roving  planets  he  sought  for  the  one  only  star 
that  could  brighten  his  night  and  bring  peace  to  his  troubled 
spirit.  Beside  him  stood  the  boy,  sometimes  looking  with 
bewilderment  upon  the  kneeling  figure  at  his  side  and  some- 
times up  to  the  glorious  sky,  and  a  blissful  smile  lighted  up 
his  lovely  childish  countenance,  for  it  seemed  to  him  as  if 
the  man  in  the  moon  were  looking  kindly  down  upon  him, 
and  smiling  upon  him  with  his  broad,  golden  face. 

But  the  sobs  and  groans  of  his  friend  recalled  the  boy's 
thoughts  to  earth.  He  bent  over  him  and  tenderly  threw 
his  arms  around  Gabriel's  neck. 

"  Dear,  good  Glaus,"  he  whispered  coaxingly,  "  do  tell 
me  why  you  cry  so  much?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you,  Raphael!  "  cried  Glaus,  with  a  loud  and 
solemn  voice.  "  Cast  yourself  upon  your  knees  and  kiss 
the  ground  on  which  you  stand.  This  is  the  spot  where  your 
mother  blessed  you  for  the  last  time.  Here  she  stood  when 
for  the  last  time  she  pressed  a  kiss  upon  your  lips,  and  then 
laid  you  in  my  arms.  Here  I  was  forced  to  swear  a  solenm 
oath  to  her,  that  I  would  go  away  with  you,  while  she  returned 
to  that  dreadful  city,  which  she  well  knew  would  prove  to  be 
her  tomb." 

"And  why  did  you  let  her  go  back  to  the  city?"  asked 
the  boy  impatiently.  "  Why  did  you  not  take  my  dear  mother 
away  with  you?  " 


56  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  She  would  not  come  with  us,"  sighed  Gabriel.  "  She  was 
a  heroine,  or,  if  you  will,  a  saint;  danger  affrighted  not  the 
heroine,  because  the  saint  must  atone  for  a  crime — blot  out 
an  evil  deed  by  an  act  of  love.  Oh,  my  child,  my  beloved 
child — for  in  this  hour  I  may  call  you  so,  although  I  am  not 
your  father — my  beloved  child,  while  you  live,  never  forget 
your  noble,  virtuous,  and  beautiful  mother.  Swear  to  me 
that  you  will  cherish  her  memory;  that  you  will  call  upon 
her  when  you  are  in  want  and  danger;  that  you  will  pray  to 
her  when  sin  entices  you  and  crime  would  draw  you  into  her 
nets.  Swear  to  me  that  in  all  the  great  moments  of  your 
life  you  will  look  up  to  heaven,  and  call  upon  your  mother 
to  be  near  and  help  you!  " 

"  I  swear  to  do  so,  father  Glaus,"  said  the  boy  with  low, 
clear  voice.  "  But  will  my  mother  hear  me? — will  she  take 
notice  of  the  poor  little  boy  whom  she  forsook?  Ah,  Glaus, 
you  say  my  mother  loved  me  a  great  deal.  But  how  could  a 
mother  forsake  her  child  if  she  loved  him?  " 

"  Because  she  loved  you,  Eaphael,  she  left  you.  It  is  writ- 
ten, 'the  sins  of  the  fathers  shall  be  visited  upon  the  chil- 
dren/ and  that  this  curse  might  not  fall  upon  your  head,  as 
well  as  to  atone  for  the  crime  of  the  unworthy  being  whom 
she  loved,  she  turned  from  you  and  offered  herself  a  cheerful 
sacrifice  to  death.  Oh,  it  is  a  long,  sad  story,  and  you  would 
not  understand  it  if  I  were  to  tell  it  to  you — a  story  of  blood 
and  tears,  a  story  full  of  rapture  and  despair,  full  of  hatred 
and  of  love.  If  you  were  a  man  I  would  tell  it  to  you,  and 
you  would  tear  your  hair  and  beat  upon  your  breast  for  an- 
guish and  despair.  But  you  are  still  a  child,  barely  ten  years 
old,  and  you  would  not  understand  the  fearful  circumstances 
which  induced  your  noble  mother,  here  upon  this  very  spot, 
to  part  with  you  and  bid  an  eternal  farewell  to  her  darling 
child.  Seven  years  have  gone  by  since  then,  seven  long, 
dreadful  years,  which  sometimes  seem  to  me  like  an  eternity 
and  sometimes  only  a  minute;  like  a  dream  they  have  flitted 
by,  and  through  the  mist,  I  discern  your  mother's  lofty,  strik- 
ing form.  There  she  stands,  proud  and  dignified  as  a  queen, 
yet  modest  and  gentle  as  a  maid.  There  she  stands,  wholly 
enveloped  in  a  mantle  of  light,  her  eyes  sparkling  like 


THE  LAST  FAREWELL.  57 

heavenly  stars,  her  smile  radiant  as  moonlight,  and  all  about 
her  is  sunshine,  peace,  and  a  heavenly  transfiguration.  I  see 
you,  Eebecca.  You  hover  near  me  in  the  night  wind — you 
stretch  out  your  arms  to  me  and  your  child!  Oh,  take  us 
with  you,  draw  us  up  to  yourself  in  your  land  of  immortal 
joy  and  peace! " 

Carried  away  by  inspiration  he  spread  out  his  arms  in  the 
direction  of  the  wind,  which,  sighing  and  moaning,  swept 
across  the  plain,  and  made  the  boy  shudder  with  fright. 

"  Glaus,  let  us  go  away,"  he  murmured,  nestling  closer 
to  his  side;  "  it  is  so  sad  here.  Surely  spirits  must  be  abroad, 
and  are  holding  their  revels  here  in  the  moonshine." 

"  Do  not  be  afraid,  Eaphael,"  sighed  Gabriel,  relapsing 
from  his  state  of  rhapsody.  "  Do  not  be  afraid;  it  is  noth- 
ing but  the  ghosts  of  memory  which  haunt  the  spot,  and  fill 
my  heart  with  awe  as  I  listen  to  their  mournful  dirges. 
Eaphael,  I  see  your  mother,  standing  before  me  as  of  yore. 
She  fixes  her  large  eyes  upon  me,  speaks  to  me  with  her  im- 
pressive voice,  and  commands  me  to  introduce  the  child  of 
her  grief  and  love  to  the  world  and  life,  and  not  to  shut  him 
up  to  poverty  and  degradation;  she  commands  me  to  per- 
form my  last  act  of  penance,  to  renounce  you.  And  I  obey 
her  orders.  I  tear  myself  away  from  you.  Eaphael,  to-night 
I  speak  with  you  for  the  last  time — to-night  I  take  a  lifelong 
farewell  of  you! " 

"  Oh,  uncle,  dear  uncle,  why  so?  "  asked  the  boy,  breaking 
out  into  loud  weeping.  "  Why  do  you  not  keep  me  with  you? 
I  will  beg  with  you,  weep  with  you,  suffer  hunger  and  thirst 
with  you.  I  love  you  so  much,  Glaus,  so  very  much.  Do  not 
drive  me  away  from  you,  keep  me  with  you!  " 

"You  love  me,  my  child?"  exclaimed  Gabriel  joyfully. 
"  Oh,  say  it  once  again.  Is  it  actually  true  that  you  love 
me?" 

"  Yes,  I  love  you,  and  I  want  to  stay  with  you." 

"  Bless  you  for  those  words,  son  of  your  mother!  "  cried 
Gabriel,  clasping  the  boy  firmly  in  his  arms.  "  Those  words 
were  your  parting  gift,  my  son,  and  I  shall  treasure  them  in 
my  heart  and  soul  as  long  as  I  live,  as  long  as  I  continue  to 
drag  out  the  weary  chain  of  existence.  But  this  night  rends 


58  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

the  cords  of  love  which  bound  you  to  me,  and  closes  all  con- 
nection between  you  and  me.  If  you  meet  me  to-morrow 
you  must  not  greet  the  beggar  who  humbly  creeps  along  at 
your  side,  but  turn  another  way,  and  proudly  pass  him  by." 

"  No,  uncle,  I  can  not  and  will  not  do  that! "  cried  the 
boy.  "  What  a  bad  boy  I  would  be  if  I  pretended  not  to  know 
you,  who  have  been  so  good  and  kind  to  me;  the  only  person 
who  received  and  cared  for  the  solitary  neglected  boy!  Oh, 
you  think  I  have  forgotten  that  time  when  you  came  to  me 
in  Venice.  I  was  quite  alone  in  the  world,  and  there  was  no 
one  to  pity  the  poor  little  beggar,  who  had  to  beg  his  bread 
from  door  to  door,  thankful  for  a  morsel  bestowed  upon  him 
in  charity.  But  you  took  me,  poor  child  that  I  was,  in  your 
arms,  fondled  and  wept  over  me.  Your  tears  fell  hot  upon  my 
forehead,  and  did  me  good.  Your  arms  held  me  so  tenderly 
and  I  felt  so  warm  and  happy,  I  shall  never  forget  it!  I  re- 
member very  well,  Glaus,  that  for  many  weeks  before  I  had 
had  no  sleeping  place  but  a  dark  corner  of  the  street,  no  pillow 
but  the  stone  steps  of  a  house;  and  when  you  took  me  in  your 
arms  I  felt  that  I  had  now  found  a  warm  and  soft  place  to 
rest  my  head,  and  I  was  happy,  so  happy,  that  to  try  my  new 
resting  place,  I  fell  asleep.  And  now,  you  dear,  bad  Glaus, 
you  would  have  me  be  an  ungrateful  fellow,  although  you 
have  always  taught  me  that  ingratitude  was  base!  Now  you 
would  have  me  pass  you  as  if  I  did  not  know  you,  when  you 
have  always  told  me  we  ought  to  be  true  to  our  friends,  and 
never  forget  those  who  have  done  us  a  kindness.  You  have 
done  so  much  for  me  Glaus,  and  been  just  like  a  father  to  me! 
And  I  tell  you,  if  you  will  send  me  away  and  have  nothing 
to  do  with  me,  send  me  so  far  away  that  I  will  never  meet 
you,  for  if  I  shoiild  see  you  I  could  not  help  falling  on  your 
neck,  and  rejoicing  that  I  had  once  more  found  my  dear 
Uncle  Glaus! " 

"  I  charge  you  to  do  no  such  thing,  Raphael,"  said  Gabriel, 
and  in  spite  of  himself  his  voice  was  soft  and  tender.  "  It 
is  the  last  command  I  shall  give  you:  never  try  to  speak  to 
or  accost  me.  To-night  we  part  forever.  Be  happy,  my  child; 
your  mother's  blessing  rest  upon  you,  and  make  you  a  good 
and  virtuous  man!  Once  more  I  repeat  it:  Think  always  of 


THE  LAST  FAREWELL.  59 

your  mother!  Honor  her  in  every  woman  you  come  in  con- 
tact with  in  after  years;  you  do  not  understand  my  meaning 
now,  but  charge  your  memory  with  the  words,  and  by  and  by 
you  will  understand  them." 

"  I  will  do  so,  Claus,"  sighed  the  child,  wiping  the  tears 
from  his  eyes  with  the  back  of  his  hand.  "  But  you  are  al- 
ways talking  about  my  mother.  You  always  say  I  must  love 
and  honor  her,  and  say  nothing  about  my  father.  Must  I 
not  love  and  honor  him,  too?  " 

Gabriel  shrank  back,  and  a  shudder  passed  over  his  frame. 
"  No,"  he  murmured — "  no,  you  must  neither  think  of  him 
nor  love  him." 

"  I  shall,  though!  "  cried  the  boy.  "  I  shall  love  my  father 
just  as  much  as  my  mother!  Tell  me  now,  Claus,  what  my 
father's  name  was,  and  what  he  did  that  you  always  speak 
so  bitterly  of  him  ?  " 

"Do  not  ask,  child,  do  not  ask!"  groaned  Gabriel.  "I 
can  not  tell  you  your  father's  name,  for  he  abjured  ii.  I 
can  not  tell  you  what  he  did.  He  was  a  great  criminal,  and 
if  he  were  yet  alive  his  life  could  be  only  one  prolonged  act 
of  penance." 

"  Poor  father!  I  love  him,  nevertheless,  and  shall  always 
pray  for  him,"  whispered  the  boy,  sleepily  and  wearily  nest- 
ling close  up  to  Gabriel. 

"  Pray  for  him,  yes,  pray  for  him,"  said  Gabriel,  his  voice 
choked  with  tears,  and  pressing  the  boy  nearer  to  his  heart. 

"  Let  us  go  home,"  begged  Eaphael.  "  I  am  so  tired,  I 
want  to  go  to  bed." 

"My  child,  to-night  you  have  no  bed  or  home,"  said 
Gabriel  softly.  "I  will  be  your  home  and  my  heart  your 
bed  this  last  night  that  we  are  to  spend  together.  To-morrow 
I  shall  conduct  you  to  a  noble  prince,  dwelling  in  a  stately 
palace;  but  I  would  have  you  ever  remember  that  before  you 
went  there  you  had  been  in  a  grander  palace,  and  under  the 
protection  of  the  mightiest  of  princes.  Look  around  you, 
Eaphael;  no  princely  palace  is  so  spacious  as  these  plains, 
no  vaulted  ceiling  ever  equaled  in  grandeur  the  moonlit 
splendor  of  this  starry  sky.  Here  we  are  in  the  house  of  the 
mightiest  of  princes,  for  we  are  in  the  house  of  God!  He 


60  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWEK. 

is  with  us  at  this  moment,  he  spreads  his  canopy  above  us, 
and  looks  down  upon  us  in  his  stars.  Feel  his  breath  in  the 
rustling  night  wind,  behold  the  reflection  of  his  face  in  the 
arched  firmament  above  us! " 

The  boy  made  no  answer.  He  only  clung  closer  to  Gabriel, 
who  had  allowed  him  gently  to  sink  upon  the  earth,  on  the 
very  spot  where  he  had  taken  his  last  farewell  of  Rebecca. 

The  boy's  head  rested  upon  Gabriel's  left  arm,  his  counte- 
nance was  turned  toward  heaven,  and  his  grave  expressive 
eyes — Rebecca's  eyes — looked  with  dreamy  blissful  glances 
up  at  the  glittering  stars,  which  in  solemn  repose  looked  down 
from  above. 

But  Gabriel  lifted  not  his  glance  on  high;  he  only  gazed 
upon  his  child,  whom  he  now  for  the  last  time  held  in  his 
arms,  and  from  whom,  this  hallowed  night,  he  was  to  take 
a  lifelong  farewell.  Now  the  child's  dreamy  glances  dropped 
from  heaven  to  the  contemplation  of  Gabriel's  face.  The 
eyes  of  father  and  son  nnet  in  a  long  look  of  fond  affection. 
The  moon  looked  down  upon  both^  and  alone  saw  the  tears 
which  stood  in  Gabriel's  eye  and  the  smile  playing  about 
the  lips  of  his  child. 

Gradually  the  lids  closed  over  the  boy's  eyes,  once  more 
with  a  last  effort  he  opened  them,  looked  up  into  Gabriel's 
face,  and  higher  up  at  the  glorious  stars,  then  they  shut 
wearily,  and  with  an  infinite  feeling  of  contentment  the  boy 
stretched  himself  out  upon  the  bed  that  he  had  found  in  his 
father's  arms. 

Quiet  was  round  about,  all  nature  slumbered  in  repose. 
Only  occasionally  was  heard  afar  off  the  barking  of  a  dog, 
to  which  a  faint  echo  gave  response.  Once  a  night  bird  flew 
past,  with  hoarse  croaking,  making  a  dark  streak  across  the 
sky,  which  Gabriel  seemed  to  see  long  after  the  dismal  bird 
had  disappeared.  Then  again  all  was  still,  and  the  twinkling 
stars  and  silver  moonlight  illuminated  the  broad  white  sandy 
plain  and  the  dark  group  in  its  center — the  father  holding 
his  child  in  his  arms! 

The  boy  slept,  but  still  occasionally  raised  his  eyelids,  as 
if  to  see  whether  his  father's  loving,  affectionate  face,  and 
the  blue,  shining  heavens  were  still  there,  and  then  he  closed 


THE  LAST  FAREWELL.  61 

them  again  and  smiled,  as  children  smile  when  they  see 
angels  in  their  dreams.  It  was  a  beautiful,  holy  night,  and  a 
breath  of  its  eternal  peace  sank  into  the  soul  of  the  poor, 
afflicted  father,  and  a  glimpse  of  its  infinite  glory  penetrated 
deeply  the  heart  and  memory  of  the  boy!  Often  hereafter  will 
thoughts  of  this  night  visit  both;  often  in  hours  of  grief  will 
the  man's  soul  be  strengthened  by  this  sacred  remembrance; 
often  will  to-night's  stars  shine  in  the  boy's  heart,  smiling 
upon  him  with  his  mother's  eyes! 

And  the  boy  will  become  a  youth,  and  the  memory  of 
his  sorrowful  childhood  and  the  poor,  broken-hearted  •  man 
who  now  holds  him  in  his  arms  be  obliterated  before  brighter 
images  of  the  present;  but  the  memory  of  this  starry  night 
will  live  fresh  and  radiant  in  his  heart,  and  never  will  his 
eye  be  uplifted  to  heaven  at  night  that  the  stars  of  this  night 
and  his  mother's  love  will  not  sprint  up  anew  within  him. 

The  sun  was  quite  high  in  the  heavens  when  GaTmel  bent 
down  over  the  boy  and  awoke  him  *-ith  a  kiss.  It  was  the 
first  time  since  they  had  lived  together  that  Glaus  had  per- 
mitted himself  to  indulge  in  this  demonstration  of  tender- 
ness, so  that  in  spite  of  his  sleepiness  Kaphael  looked  at  him 
in  amazement. 

"  Come  now,  my  child,"  said  Gabriel  softly;  "  the  first 
morning  of  your  new  life  has  dawned,  and  you  must  begin 
it  with  love  and  joy.  I  have  waked  you  to  this  new  life  with 
a  kiss,  and  when  death  shall  one  day  call  you  to  a  yet  higher 
sphere,  may  lips  as  tender  as  mine  bestow  upon  you  a  parting 
benediction!  And  now  let  us  go,  Eaphael.  We  are  ex- 
pected." 

"  We  expected,  Glaus?  " 

"  Hush!  ask  no  questions — you  will  know  all  soon  enough. 
Come! " 

"  But  I  am  hungry,  Glaus.  Why  do  you  give  me  no  warm 
milk  and  bread  this  morning?  Glaus,  I  am  hungry." 

"  You  will  have  plenty  to  eat  at  the  place  we  are  going 
to.  You  will  never  be  hungry  again — you  will  never  know 
want  again,  Raphael.  And  now,  speak  not  another  word! 
Let  us  go  along  in  silence,  and  if  you  choose  pray  in  your 
heart." 


62  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  Give  me  your  hand,  Glaus,  and  let  us  go." 
"  No;  walk  by  yourself,  only  at  my  side.    Do  not  catch 
hold  of  my  hand — do  not  touch  me!    It  hurts  me.    Hence- 
forth each  of  us  must  go  alone,  and  if  we  meet  to-morrow 
we  meet  as  strangers." 

He  struck  into  the  path  leading  to  the  city,  and  the  boy 
trotted  along  at  his  side,  with  serious,  almost  melancholy 
looks. 


VII. — ELECTOR  AND  BEGGAB. 

THE  Elector  was  in  his  sitting  room.  It  was  still  early 
in  the  morning,  and  Frederick  William  gave  himself  up  to 
the  quiet  enjoyment  of  his  breakfast,  which  consisted  of  a 
bowl  of  highly  seasoned  soup,  such  as  long  years  ago  consti- 
tuted the  ordinary  morning  meal  at  the  Electoral  court. 
Frederick  William,  however,  was  thoughtful  and  absent- 
minded,  for  often,  as  he  carried  to  his  mouth  the  silver 
spoon,  filled  with  steaming  soup,  his  glance  flew  across  to 
the  great  wall  clock  hanging  beside  the  door,  which,  in  its 
long,  narrow  ebony  case,  was  not  exactly  fitted  to  enliven 
the  low,  gloomy  room  with  its  faded  furniture.  Just  now  a 
small  door  above  the  dial  plate  opened  with  a  whirring  sound. 
A  cock  of  tolerably  artistic  workmanship,  with  colored  plu- 
mage, stepped  briskly  out,  opened  his  beak  to  crow  at  little 
intervals  with  loud,  shrill  voice,  and  then  swiftly  vanished, 
as  he  came,  through  the  trap  door. 

"  Eight  o'clock! "  said  the  Elector,  who  had  now  finished 
his  breakfast  and  stood  up.  "Eight  o'clock!  I  am  curious 
to  know  if  Gabriel  Nietzel  will  keep " 

"  Gracious  sir,"  broke  in  Chamberlain  Kunkel,  who  now 
approached  from  the  lesser  antechamber,  "  the  beggar  who 
was  here  some  weeks  since  has  come  again;  he  says  your  high- 
ness gave  him  an  appointment  at  this  time!  " 

"  He  speaks  the  truth.  Admit  him.  He  has  a  boy  with 
him,  has  he  not?" 

"Yes,  gracious  sir,  a  boy  of  about  ten  years  of  age,  an 


ELECTOR  AND  BEGGAR.  63 

angel  of  beauty!  Pardon  me,  your  highness,  for  saying  so, 
but  I  have  never  in  my  life  seen  so  beautiful  a  child." 

"  He  must  indeed  be  truly  beautiful,  since  he  has  attracted 
the  attention  of  so  devoted  an  alchemist  as  yourself,  Kunkel, 
who  have  no  eyes  for  anything  but  crucibles  and  phials.  But 
time  presses — bring  in  the  beggar,  Kunkel." 

"  With  the  boy,  your  highness?  " 

"  As  the  man  himself  may  choose." 

Kunkel  went  out,  much  astonished  that  his  Electoral 
Grace  should  permit  the  beggar  to  exercise  his  own  discretion 
with  regard  to  any  matter. 

A  moment  later  the  door  opened  softly,  and  Gabriel  Niet- 
zel  entered.  He  remained  standing  humbly  near  the  door, 
and  leant  his  hand  upon  a  chair  beside  him,  as  if  he  feared 
that  he  would  fall  if  this  support  should  fail  him.  The 
Elector  looked  into  Gabriel's  pale  and  sunken  face,  upon 
which  the  pain  and  agitation  of  these  past  eight  days  had 
wrought  frightful  ravages,  and  his  soul  was  touched  with 
sympathy. 

"  Gabriel  Nietzel,"  he  said,  advancing  toward  the  beggar, 
and  there  was  a  something  of  entreaty  in  his  voice — "  Gabriel 
Nietzel,  I  hope  you  have  come  to  tell  me  that  you  can  not 
persist  in  the  frightful  penance  which  you  have  imposed 
upon  yourself,  and  I  tell  you  you  will  be  right  in  so  doing. 
Our  God  is  a  God  of  love,  and  he  will  not  refuse  to  pardon 
you,  if  penitent.  Besides,  an  angel  stands  before  his  throne, 
and  pleads  for  you.  Kebecca  saved  my  life,  and  I  would 
recompense  you  for  the  good  done  me  by  her.  Hear  me  once 
more.  I  shall  not  persuade  you  to  emerge  from  obscurity 
and  concealment,  but  I  would  at  least  procure  you  a  comfort- 
able means  of  subsistence.  I  will  make  you  steward  of  my 
Boetzon  estate,  not  far  from  here.  In  the  village  are  a  good 
schoolmaster  and  learned  priest;  both  together  could  in- 
struct the  boy  in  scientific  matters  as  well  as  farming,  and 
if  he  is  industrious,  and  becomes  a  worthy,  honest  man,  we 
will  constitute  him  inspector  of  one  of  our  domains,  and  in 
your  old  age  you  could  receive  from  him  the  bread  of  charity, 
which  you  will  not  take  from  me.  Now  say  that  you  will 
accept  my  offer,  Gabriel  Nietzel." 


64  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

A  pause  ensued.  Nothing  was  heard  but  the  loud  ticking 
of  the  clock,  and  Gabriel's  quick-coming  breath.  He  had 
folded  his  hands  convulsively  together,  his  body  shaking  as 
if  rocked  by  the  fierceness  of  a  tempestuous  wind.  The 
Elector  fixed  his  large,  beaming  eyes  upon  him,  and  awaited 
his  decision  with  features  full  of  expectancy. 

"  Well,"  exclaimed  Frederick  William,  impatiently  at  last, 
"  will  you  accept  my  offer,  Gabriel  Nietzel?  " 

The  beggar  slowly  raised  his  head,  and  his  large,  deep- 
sunken  eyes  met  the  Elector's  gaze  with  firmness. 

"Gracious  sir,"  he  said,  with  loud  and  solemn  voice, 
"you  mistake  me.  I  am  not  Gabriel  Nietzel,  and  know  no 
such  person.  I  am  the  beggar  Glaus,  and  in  obedience  to 
your  highness's  instructions  I  have  brought  the  orphan  boy 
whose  rearing  you  expressed  a  desire  to  superintend." 

The  Elector  stamped  his  foot  impatiently,  and  turned 
away,  as  if  in  indignation — perhaps  to  conceal  the  tears  which 
had  moistened  his  eyes. 

"  Well  then,  let  me  see  the  boy." 

"  Gracious  sir,  you  promised  me  to  tell  no  one,  not  even 
him,  who  his  parents  were." 

"  I  promised  and  shall  keep  my  word.  Open  the  door 
and  admit  the  boy." 

Gabriel  Nietzel  obeyed;  he  opened  the  door  and  beckoned 
with  his  hand.  Immediately  within  the  open  doorway  ap- 
peared the  boy's  pretty,  slender  form.  His  cheeks  glowed 
with  excitement  and  impatience,  and  his  large  black  eyes 
were  fixed  boldly  and  inquiringly  upon  the  strange  gentle- 
man in  the  gold-embroidered  coat,  while  his  crimson  lips 
slightly  trembled  as  if  from  inward  emotion.  But  he  reso- 
lutely compressed  them  and  involuntarily  shook  his  head, 
so  that  his  long  fair  curls  fell  in  a  golden  shower  over  his 
rosy  face. 

"  Kunkel  is  right  indeed,"  murmured  the  Elector;  "  this 
is  a  beautiful  child.  What  is  the  boy's  name?  "  he  asked  then, 
turning  to  Gabriel. 

"He  has  no  name,  sir;  he  is  waiting  to  receive  a  name 
from  you." 

The  boy  quickly  raised  his  head  and  shook  back  the  curls 


ELECTOR  AND  BEGGAR.  6S 

from  his  brow.  "  Whafo  are  you  saying  there,  Glaus?"  he 
asked  defiantly.  "  I  have  a  name.  My  name  is  Eaphael." 

"  His  father  once  gave  him  that  name  out  of  pride  and 
presumption,"  said  Gabriel  softly.  "  But  he  has  repented 
of  it,  and,  through  me,  begs  you,  sir,  to  change  it!  " 

"  I  shall  do  so,  Ga "  The  Elector  paused,  warned 

by  a  pleading  glance  from  Gabriel.  "  I  shall  do  so,  Glaus. 
Has  the  boy  been  baptized  yet  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  he  has  not  been  baptized." 

"  Then  we  will  have  him  baptized.  Has  his  father  de- 
termined in  what  Church  he  shall  be  reared?" 

"  No,  your  highness.  It  depends  entirely  upon  your 
will." 

"  Then  he  shall  be  received  into  the  Reformed  Church, 
of  which  I  am  myself  a  member,  for  I  like  those  in  whom 
I  have  an  interest  to  be  of  the  same  faith  as  myself.  I  will 
therefore  have  the  boy  baptized,  and  then  send  him  to  a 
school  where  he  shall  be  well  instructed.  Has  he  a  prefer- 
ence for  any  profession,  or  has  his  father  determined  what 
he  shall  become?" 

"  I  know  myself  what  I  want  to  be,"  cried  the  boy  eagerly. 
"  I  want  to  be  a  soldier,  a  brave  soldier,  in  splendid  uniform 
and  with  saber  rattling  at  my  side,  who  will  be  dreaded  and 
looked  up  to  by  everybody." 

"  Truly  you  are  a  fine  little  fellow! "  cried  the  Elector, 
with  a  well-pleased  smile,  contemplating  the  boy's  animated 
countenance  and  sparkling  eyes.  "  I  think  it  stands  plainly 
written  upon  your  face  that  you  would  make  a  valiant  sol- 
dier. Tell  me,"  he  continued,  turning  to  the  beggar,  "  has  the 
father  expressed  any  wish  with  regard  to  his  son's  future?  " 

"  Yes,  your  highness,"  replied  Gabriel,  after  short  reflec- 
tion. "  He  did  have  such  a  wish,  and  were  he  yet  alive  he 
would  implore  your  grace  upon  his  knees  to  grant  it." 

"  I  promise  you  to  fulfill  it.    Tell  me  what  it  is?  " 

"Your  highness,  the  father  of  this  boy  would  beseech 
you  to  bring  up  the  son  to  walk  in  his  mother's  footsteps, 
and  make  restitution  for  the  evil  deed  which  his  father " 

"  Hark! "  interposed  the  Elector,  with  frowning  brow 
and  angry  voice;  "  it  is  not  right  for  you  to  speak  ill  of  the 


C6  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

father  in  presence  of  the,  son,  and  accuse  him  of  sin  and 
crime.  It  is  written,  '  Thou  shalt  honor  thy  father  and  thy 
mother,  that  thy  days  may  be  long  upon  the  earth/  Instead 
of  this,  you  have  taught  this  poor  child  to  despise  and  hate 
his  father.  You  must  do  so  no  more.  And  listen,  little  fel- 
low, do  not  believe  that  your  father  was  such  a  bad  man  as 
Claus  there  says.  On  the  contrary,  your  father  was  quite  a 
good  man,  and  you  must  reverence  him  in  thought,  for  he 
loved  you  very  much." 

"  Sir,  you  knew  my  father,  then! "  exclaimed  the  boy, 
running  up  to  the  Elector  and  laying  both  hands  upon  his 
arm,  while  he  lifted  his  dark  eyes  to  Frederick  William's 
face  with  an  expression  of  glowing  impatience. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  Elector,  "I  knew  your  father,  and 
repeat  that  he  was  not  so  bad  as  Claus  would  have  you  be- 
lieve." 

"Oh,  sir!"  cried  the  boy,  smiling,  "I  never  did  believe 
it.  And  the  more  Claus  abused  him  the  more  I  loved  my 
father,  and  prayed  to  God  for  him." 

"And  you  do  right  in  this,  my  child,"  said  the  Elector, 
approvingly.  "  Pray  for  your  father,  and  think  of  him  as  pure 
from  sin.  He  was  a  man,  and  sin  upon  her  approach  found 
him  weak,  and  enticed  him  into  evil  paths.  But  his  heart 
was  good,  and  therefore  God  pitied  him,  and  sent  him  a  mes- 
senger of  eternal  life,  who  made  full  restitution  for  the  evil 
he  had  wrought.  Let  this  love  embalm  his  memory,  and, 
if  your  poor  father  is  actually  dead,  let  us  hope  that  he  is 
safely  housed  in  the  mansions  of  eternal  bliss.  He  has  re- 
pented fully,  then  let  us  with  our  whole  hearts  forgive  him 
as  we  hope  ourselves  to  be  forgiven." 

"  Sir,  my  beloved  sir! "  cried  the  beggar,  weeping  aloud 
and  falling  upon  his  knees — "I  thank  you  for  these  words! 
They  shall  be  my  support  and  consolation,  and,  when  God 
in  his  mercy  releases  me  from  life,  I  shall  think  of  you  while 
breathing  my  last  prayer." 

"  Stand  up,  poor  man,"  said  the  Elector  kindly.  "  My 
child,  help  your  father  to  rise  from  his  knees." 

"  Help  him  I  will!  "  cried  the  boy;  "  but  Claus  is  not  my 
father,  sir.  My  father  was  no  beggar,  but  a  grand  gentleman, 


ELECTOR  AND  BEGGAR.  C7 

an  artist.  Clans  denies  this,  it  is  true;  but  I  am  not  so  stupid 
— I  know  that  it  is  true." 

"  And  how  do  you  know  it?  " 

"  My  grandfather  often  told  me  so,  when  I  lived  with 
him  in  Venice,  and  I  noted  well  his  words.  '  Your  father  is 
a  great  painter,'  he  would  often  say,  '  and  produces  such 
beautiful  forms  upon  canvas  that  they  seem  to  live  and 
breathe.'  Then  he  would  point  to  a  lovely  portrait  hanging 
upon  the  wall  in  his  chamber,  and  say:  '  That  is  your  mother. 
Only  see,  how  pleasantly  she  smiles,  and  how  good  and  happy 
she  looks!  This  is  your  father's  work,  and  is  living,  although 
the  original  has  been  long  since  dead  and  buried.' ': 

"  Dead  she  is,  but  not  buried!  "  groaned  the  beggar,  clasp- 
ing his  hands  over  his  face.  "  I  can  not  conduct  her  son  to 
her  grave,  for  she  has  none.  She  was  murdered!  Mur- 
dered! " 

"Hush,  Glaus,  hush!"  said  the  Elector  imperiously. 
"  God  has  taken  her  to  himself,  and  also  summoned  to  his 
bar  him  who  probably  was  guilty  of  her  death.  He  has  judged 
and  sentenced,  and  silence  becomes  man.  But  you  have  still 
to  answer  my  question,  Glaus.  You  were  to  tell  me  if  this 
boy's  father  would  have  selected  any  especial  calling  for 
him." 

"  He  entertained  the  wish,  sir,  that  he  might  become  your 
servant,  living  near  you,  to  protect  you  from  danger  and 
watch  by  you  in  sickness.  Sir,  if  his  father  had  lived  he  would 
have  fallen  on  his  knees,  and  with  uplifted  hands  said:  '  Do 
not  make  Rebecca's  son  a  distinguished  man;  let  him  remain 
in  obscurity,  but  give  him  a  noble  calling;  let  him  be  a  sol- 
dier. When  the  boy  becomes  a  youth  take  him  into  your 
bodyguard,  and  when  a  full-grown  man,  into  your  own  regi- 
ment.' " 

"It  shall  be  as  you  say,"  exclaimed  the  Elector  cheer- 
fully. "  But  he  must  learn  something  first,  for  I  do  not  in- 
tend that  in  the  future  my  soldiers  shall  be  such  ignorant, 
rude  fellows  as  they  are  now.  And,  that  you  may  feel  no  un- 
easiness about  the  boy,  Glaus,  I  will  show  you  directly  that 
I  have  already  made  provision  for  his  future." 

The  Elector  rang,  and  ordered  Chancellor  Kunkel,  who 


(5S  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

obeyed  the  summons,  to  introduce  Inspector  Uhle  of  Joa- 
chim's vale.  A  few  moments  later  there  appeared  in  the 
antechamber  door,  the  portly  figure  of  a  man  about  fifty 
years  old,  of  grave,  dignified  aspect. 

"  Now  Uhle,"  called  out  the  Elector,  "  you  shall  see  that 
I  keep  my  word.  Day  before  yesterday,  when  I  was  at 
Joachim's  vale,  inspecting  the  Prince's  school  of  the  Convent 
of  Dambeck,  and  you  met  me  with  such  a  sad  countenance, 
complaining  of  the  decline  of  the  school,  and  that  scholars 
came  no  longer  to  enter  themselves,  I  promised  to  procure 
you  one  boarder  myself,  and  bade  you  come  here  at  the  pres- 
ent time.  Well,  here  is  the  boarder  I  promised  you,  and  he 
is  to  accompany  you  forthwith  to  Dambeck.  Have  you  a 
conveyance  ready,  that  you  may  set  out  immediately?  " 

"  A  carriage  stands  ready  awaiting  your  highness's  com- 
mands," replied  the  man,  reverentially,  "  and  my  wife  has  a 
chamber  already  prepared  for  the  boarder's  reception.  We 
both  return  you  our  most  humble  acknowledgments  for  your 
gracious  assistance.  War  has  utterly  ruined  our  property; 
the  Swedes  and  Imperialists  have  robbed  us  and  left  us  noth- 
ing but  our  wretched  lives." 

"  Yet  you  always  had  the  place  of  inspector  of  the  Elec- 
toral school,"  said  the  Elector  soothingly. 

"  Yes,  sir,  but  it  brings  us  nothing  but  a  shelter  in  the 
convent  free  of  rent,  some  firewood,  and  a  bit  of  land  for  rais- 
ing corn  and  vegetables.  We  had  planted  our  field,  the  corn 
was  in  full  ear,  when  last  year  the  Swedes  came,  pitilessly 
trampled  down  the  whole,  and  rendered  all  our  toil  and  labor 
vain.  So  we  passed  a  wretched  winter  and  often  had  but 
slender  fare,  for  the  school  had  gone  down  completely,  and 
was  closed  the  whole  winter,  because  there  were  no  scholars. 
Now  there  is  no  fixed  salary  attached  to  the  discharge  of  my 
office  as  inspector,  but  my  pay  is  entirely  proportionate  to  the 
number  of  pupils  in  the  school." 

"  Then  it  was  indeed  bad  for  you  to  have  the  school  closed 
during  the  whole  winter,"  said  the  Elector.  "  Be  of  good 
courage,  all  will  be  better  now,  and  I  hope  that  ere  long,  all 
the  wounds  war  has  inflicted  upon  my  poor  people  will  be 
healed.  The  Joachim  valley  school  shall  be  re-established, 


ELECTOR  AND   BEGGAR.  69 

and  all  the  pastors  and  magistrates  within  the  confines  of 
the  Mark  must  exert  themselves  to  procure  studious  pupils 
for  the  Prince's  school.  I  will  give  them  a  good  example, 
and  send  twelve  boarders,  for  whose  maintenance  I  will  my- 
self provide.  Behold  your  first  boarder,  old  Uhle,  and  you 
must  promise  me  to  receive  him  kindly  and  treat  him  as  if 
he  were  your  own  child." 

"  Your  highness,  I  promise  from  the  bottom  of  my  soul, 
and  I  feel  that  I  can  keep  my  word,  for  the  boy  seems  to  be  a 
fine  one,  and  has  already  won  my  heart.  Besides,  last  year 
God  took  from  us  our  only  child,  and  so  we  will  love  the 
child  as  if  he  were  our  own.  Will  you  go  with  me,  little  man? 
Will  you  stay  with  me,  and  be  my  son?  " 

The  boy  fixed  his  large,  black  eyes  with  a  long  and  try- 
ing look  upon  the  inspector's  friendly,  smiling  face. 

"  Yes,  I  will  go  with  you,"  he  said  after  a  pause,  "  and  I 
will  love  you,  too.  But  I  can  not  be  your  son,  and  you  are  not 
my  father,  else  my  Uncle  Glaus  would  long  since  have  fallen 
to  scolding  you,  for  he  hates  my  father,  and  is  always  abusing 
him.  Say,  uncle,  is  this  my  father,  and  can  I  be  his  son?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Glaus  softly  and  with  downcast  eyes — 
"  no,  that  is  not  your  father.  But  you  must  love  this  gentle- 
man as  a  father,  and  obey  him  as  if  you  were  his  son." 

"  And  you  are  to  be  his  son  and  he  your  father,"  said  the 
Elector  earnestly.  "  Hark,  Uhle!  this  boy  is  an  orphan.  I 
knew  his  parents,  and  his  mother  especially  once  did  me  a 
great  service.  His  father  also  was  well  known  to  me,  and 
I  promised  him  to  care  for  his  only  child.  The  boy  is  name- 
less, for  he  can  not  bear  his  father's  name.  Now  I  require 
of  you,  Jacob  Uhle,  to  give  your  name  to  this  child  and  adopt 
him.  He  must  call  you  father,  and  your  wife  mother,  and 
find  in  your  house  a  home.  Will  you  promise  me  that  it  shall 
be  so,  Jacob  Uhle?  " 

"  I  promise  you,  gracious  sir!  "  cried  Uhle  solemnly,  draw- 
ing near  to  the  boy  and  laying  both  hands  upon  his  fair,  curly 
head.  "  I  swear  to  your  highness  to  love  and  cherish  this 
child  as  if  he  were  my  own,  and  promise  that  in  my  house 
he  shall  find  a  home.  I  shall  from  this  hour  give  him  my 
name  and  treat  him  as  my  child." 


70  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER 

"  God  bless  you  for  those  words! "  cried  Gabriel,  down 
whose  pale  cheeks  the  tears  were  streaming  in  torrents. 

"  Well  then,"  said  the  Elector,  gently  nodding  his  head, 
"we  have  found  a  father  for  the  orphan,  a  name  for  the 
nameless,  and  I  think  his  mother  in  heaven  will  rejoice  over 
it.  I  shall  provide  for  the  boy's  maintenance,  and  your  wife, 
I  am  sure,  will  attend  to  keeping  his  wearing  apparel  in 
order.  You  must  send  me  your  account,  which  shall  be  paid, 
including  a  stated  sum  for  his  clothing.  All  else  that  may 
be  needful  shall  be  communicated  to  you  by  my  secretary, 
as  also  regarding  the  boy's  baptism,  which  I  wish  to  take 
place  promptly.  I  myself  will  stand  sponsor  for  him.  You 
gave  the  boy  his  surname,  and  I  will  choose  him  his  baptismal 
one.  Let  his  name  be  Frederich  William  Uhle." 

"  Frederick  William  Uhle! "  murmured  Gabriel,  looking 
through  his  tears  upon  the  boy,  who  seemed  to  have  totally 
forgotten  him,  and  fixed  his  smiling,  inquisitive  looks  some- 
times upon  the  Elector,  sometimes  upon  Jacob  Uhle. 

"  Go  now,  Jacob  Uhle,  and  see  that  all  is  in  readiness 
for  your  journey,"  ordered  the  Elector.  "  The  boy  shall 
speedily  follow  you,  and  be  your  traveling  companion.  Go!  " 

He  responded  to  Jacob  Uhle's  reverential  bow  by  a  friend- 
ly nod,  and  as  soon  as  that  person  had  gone  out  turned  to 
Gabriel  Nietzel. 

"  I  wanted  to  procure  you  a  little  respite,  that  you  might 
take  a  last  farewell  of  the  boy.  I  can  well  imagine  that  your 
heart  feels  such  a  longing,  and  therefore  I  sent  Jacob  Uhle 
on  before." 

"  Your  highness  is  noble  and  magnanimous  to  the  last," 
replied  Gabriel  softly.  "I  thank  you.  But  I  have  no  fur- 
ther farewell  to  take,  nor  anything  more  to  say  to  Frederick 
William  Uhle.  All  is  over!  " 

"  But  I,  bad,  old  uncle,  I  have  something  more  to  say  to 
you!  "  cried  the  boy,  running  up  to  Gabriel  and  flinging  both 
arms  around  his  body.  "  I  have  to  say  to  you,  that  I  shall 
always  love  you,  and  that  you  will  never,  never  be  anything 
to  me  but  my  dear,  good  uncle!  And  now,  give  me  one  more 
kiss  for  good-by." 

A  deadly  pallor  overspread  Gabriel's  countenance,  and  his 


ELECTOR  AND  BEGGAR.  71 

whole  person  shook.  He  convulsively  pushed  off  the  boy 
and  freed  himself  from  his  embrace. 

"Go!"  he  cried  passionately — "go,  and  do  not  touch 
me!  I  can  not  bear  it!  Go!  Have  pity,  sir,  you  see  I  am 
only  a  weak  man,  and  it  is  too  much  for  me.  Permit  me  to 
withdraw." 

"  No,  not  you,  but  the  boy  must  go,"  replied  the  Elector, 
ringing.  "  I  have  still  a  couple  of  words  to  say  to  you !  "  He 
directed  Chamberlain  Kunkel,  who  entered,  to  conduct  the 
boy  to  Jacob  Uhle,  who  was  awaiting  him  with  his  carriage 
below.  "  Go,  Frederick  William  Uhle,  go  and  grow  up  to 
be  a  good  and  virtuous  man." 

The  boy  made  no  reply.  His  eyes  were  ever  fixed  upon  his 
uncle's  pale,  quivering  features,  and  gushing  tears  deprived 
him  of  the  power  of  speech.  Passively,  offering  no  resistance, 
he  suffered  Chamberlain  Kunkel  to  take  his  hand  and  lead 
him  to  the  door.  All  was  dark  before  his  eyes,  and  he  knew 
not  himself  the  source  or  meaning  of  the  pain  which  filled 
his  little  breast.  It  was  not  such  pain  as  he  used  to  feel  when 
he  had  gone  hungry  and  chilly  through  the  streets  of  Venice, 
or  when,  holding  by  his  Uncle  Claus's  hand,  he  had  followed 
him  wearily  in  his  long  and  tiresome  pilgrimages — he  was 
not  hungry,  he  was  not  thirsty,  his  feet  were  not  painful,  nor 
his  head  aching.  But  something  within  pained  so  sorely, 
weighed  upon  him  so  heavily,  that  it  almost  crushed  him  to 
the  earth.  The  child  let  his  curly  head  sink  upon  his  breast, 
and  went  slowly  out,  not  knowing  that  he  bore  with  him  his 
first  grief,  and  that  it  was  his  heart  which  oppressed  him  so 
sorely. 

"  Gabriel  Nietzel,"  said  the  Elector,  as  soon  as  the  door 
had  closed  behind  the  boy,  "  one  word  with  you  now,  poor, 
unhappy  man!  You  have  to-day  offered  the  greatest  sacri- 
fice man  can  bring.  You  have  parted  with  your  child,  and 
renounced  him  for  life.  You  have  done  what  is  most  difficult, 
you  have  conquered  and  renounced  love.  Believe  me,  poor 
man,  that  you  have  now  made  full  atonement  for  your  sin, 
and  purified  yourself  from  all  guilt.  The  fires  of  penitence 
have  cleansed  your  soul  from  all  contamination  of  crime; 
they  have  made  you  a  new  man,  let  your  soul  rise  to  a  new  life. 


72  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

Lift  up  your  head,  be  strong  and  firm;  conquer  remorse  as 
you  have  conquered  sin.  I,  your  Elector,  to  my  people  and 
servants,  the  representative  of  God  upon  earth,  pronounce 
you  free  of  all  guilt — I  absolve  you!  " 

Gabriel  slowly  shook  his  head.  "  I  will  do  penance  to  the 
end,"  he  said  in  a  low,  spiritless  voice.  "  I  vowed  so  to  do 
when  God  in  his  justice  permitted  me  not  to  perish  in  the 
waters  of  the  Tiber,  and  from  the  arms  of  death,  again  thrust 
the  suicide  out  into  the  world.  Only  God  himself  can  absolve 
me  from  doing  penance,  when  he  calls  me  to  himself  in  eter- 
nal peace,  after  I  shall  have  suffered  all  these  tortures.  He 
will  know  when  I  have  endured  enough,  to  be  permitted  once 
more  to  behold  my  Rebecca's  face  and  be  reunited  to  her." 

"But  what  will  you  do?"  asked  the  Elector.  "How 
will  you  live?" 

"  By  death,  sir!  My  life  will  be  a  prolonged  death,  my 
existence  a  perpetual  pang.  I  will  eat  the  bread  of  humilia- 
tion, begging  a  bit  of  bread  or  a  penny  from  the  charity  of 
men,  which  I  shall  accept,  well  knowing  that  I  have  not  de- 
served it.  Before  your  castle,  sir,  will  I  pass  my  life  as  a  beg- 
gar, ever  looking  up  at  it  and  thinking  that  there  you  once 
lay  in  agony,  suffering  from  poison  administered  by  the  hand 
of  an  accursed  murderer;  ever  remembering  that  a  blessed 
angel  rescued  you  from  the  jaws  of  death,  that  my  Rebecca 
saved  you;  that  for  me  she  went  to  death;  and  that  I  can  not 
find  her  grave,  to  lie  there  and  die." 

"  It  is,  then,  your  irrevocable  decision  to  live  as  a  beggar," 
said  the  Elector. 

"  My  irrevocable  decision,  sir." 

"  At  least  tell  me  something  I  can  do  for  you,"  exclaimed 
the  Elector,  almost  entreatingly. 

"  Sir,  I  beg  of  you  to  order  the  sheriff  not  to  drive  me 
from  your  castle  gate,  but  permit  me  to  spend  my  life  begging 
on  the  castle  square." 

Involuntarily  the  Elector  stamped  his  foot  upon  the 
ground.  "  "Well  then,"  he  said  quickly,  "  one  thing  you  must 
at  least  promise  me!  The  chief  cook  shall  send  you  a  warm 
bowl  of  soup  every  day  from  my  kitchen.  You  must  promise 
me  to  eat  it." 


ELECTOR  AND  BEGGAR.  73 

"  Sir,  I  can  make  no  such  promise!  "  cried  Gabriel,  with 
an  expression  of  horror.  "  I  can  not  accept  food  and  drink 
from  one  whom  I  have  attempted  to  poison.  Grant  me  the 
favor  I  asked,  I  have  nothing  further  to  desire." 

"Well,  be  it  so!  As  long  as  you  choose  you  shall  keep 
your  station  before  the  castle,  on  the  castle  square  and  in  the 
pleasure  garden,  and  no  man  shall  dare  to  interfere  with  you. 
But  you  must  daily  accept  the  gift  which  I  shall  offer  you; 
and  if  I  can  not  come  myself,  take  it  from  him  who  will  bring 
it  to  you  from  me." 

"  I  am  a  beggar,  sir,  and  thankfully  accept  the  alms  it 
becomes  a  beggar  to  receive.  But  this  alms  must  not  exceed 
a  penny,  the  amount  commonly  cast  in  the  beggar's  hat.  Will 
your  grace " 

The  loud  rumbling  of  a  wheeled  vehicle  was  heard  in  the 
castle  yard,  silencing  Gabriel,  and  the  groan  which  forced 
itself  from  his  breast  sounded  almost  like  a  shriek. 

"It  is  Jacob  Uhle's  carriage,"  said  the  Elector  softly. 
"  The  boy  has  gone." 

"  Yes,  and  I  have  lost  my  son  for  ever!  "  cried  Gabriel  with 
a  heartrending  cry  of  woe.  "  Dismiss  me,  sir,  dismiss  me, 
let  me  go." 

"  Well,  go  then,  poor  man!  "  said  the  Elector  softly.  "  May 
God  be  gracious  to  you  and  speak  peace  to  your  soul!  " 

Gabriel  Nietzel  muttered  a  few  unintelligible  words  and 
tottered  toward  the  door. 

The  Elector  looked  after  him  with  an  expression  of  pro- 
found sympathy,  and  just  as  he  had  laid  his  hand  upon  the 
latch  and  opened  it,  with  sudden  haste  he  called  him  back: 
"  Gabriel  Nietzel! " 

The  beggar  moved  on  as  if  it  were  not  he  who  was  called. 

"  Glaus!  "  cried  the  Elector,  "  hear  one  word  more!  " 

The  beggar  stood  still  in  the  open  door,  but  did  not  turn 
round,  and  his  body  swayed  to  and  fro. 

"  Glaus,  if  you  should  feel  some  day  that  you  have  under- 
gone penance  enough — that  you  can  forgive  yourself,  as  God, 
Rebecca,  and  I  have  forgiven  you — if  you  long  for  rest  and  a 
quiet  spot  to  lay  your  weary  head,  then  come  to  me  and  you 
shall  have  it!" 


74  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

Only  an  incomprehensible  murmur  was  his  reply,  and  then 
the  bowed  form  tottered  on,  and  the  door  closed  behind  it. 

The  Elector  stood  immovable  in  his  place;  it  seemed  to 
him  as  if  with  the  grating,  creaking  sound  of  these  retreating 
footsteps  his  own  past,  his  own  youth,  were  passing  away, 
and  an  inexpressible  feeling  of  melancholy  took  possession  of 
his  whole  soul.  A  loud  noise,  as  of  something  heavy  falling, 
aroused  him  from  his  reverie.  He  hastened  to  the  door  and 
opened  it. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Kunkel?    What  noise  was  that?  " 

"  Nothing  at  all,  most  gracious  sir.  The  beggar  fainted 
and  fell,  that  was  all." 

The  Elector  closed  the  door  and  returned  to  his  own 
apartment.  His  large,  flaming  eyes  were  slowly  raised  to 
heaven,  and  his  thoughts  were  uplifted  to  God. 

"  Before  thee,  0  Lord! "  he  whispered,  "  we  are  all  noth- 
ing but  weak,  sinful  creatures,  and  all  greatness  sinks  into 
nothingness!  I  thought  myself  a  prince,  and  wanted  to  con- 
trol. A  beggar  comes  along  and  resists  me  with  the  might 
of  his  will,  making  me  feel  that  I  have  no  power  over  him, 
can  control  him  in  nothing,  and  benefit  him  in  nothing!  The 
beggar  is  a  man  like  myself,  and  beggars  are  we  all  in  thy  sight, 
0  Lord  God  Almighty!  " 


VIII. — LOVE'S  COURIER  EETURNS. 

"  WELL,  truly,  you  have  made  good  speed,"  was  the  Elec- 
tor's greeting  to  Burgsdorf,  as  the  latter  entered  his  cabinet. 
"Hardly  six  weeks  have  elapsed  since  you  set  out  on  your 
journey  to  Sweden,  and  here  you  are  at  home  again." 

"  Yes,  most  gracious  sir,"  said  Burgsdorf,  whose  red  face 
shone  with  rapture — "yes,  God  be  praised,  I  ain  at  home 
again.  I  can  not  express  to  your  highness  how  happy  I  am  to 
find  myself  once  more  in  dear  old  Berlin.  This  morning  as 
I  rode  into  the  city,  and  saw  the  women  milking  their  cows 
in  the  streets  and  the  hogs  wallowing  in  the  mire,  I  can  not 


LOVE'S  COURIER  RETURNS.  75 

paint  the  sensation  of  comfort  I  experienced.  Ah!  home  is 
a  wonderful  place,  and  nowhere  is  life  so  pleasant  as  at  Ber- 
lin! " 

"  Where  the  cows  are  milked  before  the  doors  and  the 
hogs  wallow  about  in  the  streets — those  are  indeed  advan- 
tages, which  few  capitals  share  with  Berlin,  and  the  posses- 
sion of  which  few  envy  us.  In  Stockholm  you  were  doubt- 
less deprived  of  these  sweets,  old  Burgsdorf  ?  " 

"  Entirely  deprived  of  them,"  asseverated  Burgsdorf,  with 
a  deep  sigh.  "  It  was  dreadful,  sir — everything  so  fine,  so 
prim,  so  precise.  The  whole  city  was  clean  to  a  fault,  and  so 
quiet  and  proper  in  all  its  parts  that  it  kept  one  in  a  constant 
state  of  anxiety.  God  knows  I  hardly  dared  to  utter  one  oath 
all  the  time  I  was  there,  because  I  thought  the  men  would 
die  of  fright  at  the  sound,  even  though  they  understood 
not  a  word  I  said.  For,  would  your  highness  believe  it,  men 
are  so  stupid  in  Sweden  that  they  do  not  understand  German 
at  all." 

"  And  you  are  so  wise  that  you  understand  no  Swedish," 
remarked  the  Elector,  laughing. 

"  Naturally,  sir,  not  a  single  word,"  said  Burgsdorf.  "  I 
never  heard  such  abominable  gibberish  in  my  life  as  those 
Swedes  talk,  and  good  luck  it  was  for  me  that  at  court  they 
spoke  nothing  but  French." 

"  I  can  imagine,  old  man,  what  elegant  French  you 
spouted!"  cried  the  Elector.  "No  doubt  one  word  chased 
another,  as  a  pack  of  hounds  the  hunted  stag  of  conversation, 
and  if  a  couple  were  swamped  by  the  wayside  the  others 
rushed  forward  only  the  more  courageously." 

"Your  highness  does  me  injustice,"  said  Burgsdorf  seri- 
ously. "  I  do  indeed  speak  very  elegant  French  because  my 
mother  was  a  Frenchwoman,  and  I  was  consequently  accus- 
tomed to  that  tongue,  even  while  in  the  cradle." 

"  Old  man,  old  man,  methinks  it  has  been  many  years 
since  you  were  the  inmate  of  a  nursery." 

"  Sixty-two  years,  your  highness,  and  my  mother  has  been 
dead  full  twenty  years.  Yet  I  can  still  speak  French  as  glibly 
as  a  dancing  master  and  I  assure  you  that  I  not  only  under- 
stood every  word  I  heard,  but  spoke  so  fluently  myself  that 
6 


76  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

her  Majesty  complimented  me  upon  the  style  of  my  conversa- 
tion." 

"  But,  Burgsdorf,"  said  the  Elector,  "  I  had  hoped  that 
the  Queen  would  be  content  to  speak  German  with  you,  for 
she,  too,  has  a  right  on  the  mother's  side  to  claim  that  as  her 
native  tongue." 

"  Most  gracious  sir,  the  Queen  did  commence  by  speak- 
ing German  with  me,  and  I  must  say  she  speaks  it  very  well. 
But  it  pleased  her  better  to  talk  French  with  me,  and  she  was 
always  in  a  line  humor  when  we  spoke  that  language." 

"  No  doubt,  it  must  have  been  right  comical.  But  enough 
of  this.  You  must  now  tell  me  all  that  you  have  seen  and 
heard,  besides  all  that  you  have  done.  Come,  sit  down  in  that 
armchair,  old  friend;  you  know  you  used  often  to  sit  there 
when  you  were  telling  my  father  of  all  your  campaigns  and 
adventures.  Sit  down,  old  friend." 

And  the  Elector  pointed  to  the  high-backed  leather  arm- 
chair, while  he  himself  took  a  seat  upon  the  small  divan.  Con- 
rad von  Burgsdorf  slowly  deposited  his  un wieldly  figure  in  the 
armchair,  and  assumed  a  thoughtful  air. 

"  Most  gracious  sir,"  he  said,  "  it  is  true  I  have  often  sat 
opposite  your  blessed  father  in  this  armchair,  and  told  him 
many  a  merry  tale,  but  he  was  always  pleased  to  inspirit  me 
for  the  task." 

"  What  are  you  hinting  at  now,  Burgsdorf?  "  asked  the 
Elector,  smiling. 

"  Gracious  sir,  what  do  they  do  when  they  want  violin 
music?  Do  they  not  tune  the  fiddle  and  rosin  the  bow?  It 
is  just  so  with  men.  They,  too,  need  to  be  tuned  and  rosined, 
when  they  would  make  an  oration,  and  that  in  their  best  style." 

"  It  seems  to  me  you  have  learned  at  Stockholm  to  make 
a  most  apt  use  of  metaphors,"  said  the  Elector,  taking  up  a 
bell  and  ringing. 

"  Two  bottles  of  Rhenish  wine,"  was  his  order  to  the 
chamberlain,  who  obeyed  his  called.  "  Quick!  " 

"Your  highness  overwhelms  me  with  kindness,"  cried 
Burgsdorf,  with  joyful  countenance.  "  I  have  not  seen  a 
bottle  of  Rhenish  wine  for  six  weeks,  much  less  tasted  any. 
Those  Polar  bears  in  Sweden  heat  their  cold  blood  with  strong 


LOVE'S  COURIER  RETURNS.  77 

Spanish  wine  when  they  want  to  thaw.  For  my  part,  I  can 
not  bear  their  Xeres  and  Madeira;  they  make  me  as  melan- 
choly as  a  screech  owl." 

"  Then  drown  your  melancholy  in  German  Ehenish  wine," 
said  the  Elector,  as  just  at  this  moment  the  chamberlain  en- 
tered and  placed  upon  the  small  table  near  the  divan  two 
bottles  of  wine,  with  large  green  goblets.  "  Pour  out  for  your- 
self, lord  chamberlain,  and  drink." 

"  Without  your  highness  condescending  to  pledge  me  by 
drinking  first?  " 

"  Well,  pour  out  the  fourth  of  a  glass  for  me,  but  fill  your 
own  goblet  to  the  brim.  I  congratulate  you  upon  your  happy 
return  home." 

He  let  his  glass  touch  that  of  the  lord  high  chamberlain 
and  drank  a  few  drops,  while  Burgsdorf  drained  the  contents 
of  his  large  goblet  at  a  draught. 

"  Is  the  violin  tuned  now  ?  "  asked  the  Elector,  smiling. 
"  Has  the  bow  been  sufficiently  plied  with  rosin  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  highness,"  replied  Burgsdorf,  drawing  a  deep 
breath.  "  The  concert  can  begin,  but  it  must  be  allowed  me, 
during  little  pauses,  to  tune  the  violin  again,  for  it  is  very 
easily  put  out  of  tune." 

"  Do  so,  but  mind  that  the  pauses  be  not  too  many.  And 
now  let  the  concert  open.  Tell  me,  how  did  the  Queen  re- 
ceive you?  What  said  she  to  her  mother's  letter,  and  to  you, 
the  living  epistle  ?  " 

"  Most  gracious  sir,  Queen  Christina  carelessly  threw  her 
mother's  letter  on  the  table  without  reading  it,  in  order  to 
devote  herself  to  me,  the  living  epistle,  as  your  grace  says." 

"  And  she  knew  how  to  read  you?  She  penetrated  your 
designs?" 

"  Your  highness,  she  only  read  what  I  chose  to  let  her  read, 
and  saw  as  much  of  my  designs  as  I  meant  that  she  should. 
The  Queen  is  an  uncommonly  wise  and  sharp-witted  woman, 
but  I  am  no  dolt,  either,  so  we  two  resembled  a  couple  of  flies 
hovering  about  a  hot  loaf,  each  dreading  to  be  burned,  yet 
grudging  it  to  the  other.  When  she  asked  me,  '  What  of  Lord 
High  Chancellor  Burgsdorf?  Is  he  still  the  Elector's  con- 
fidant?' I  replied,  'Your  Majesty,  von  Burgsdorf  is  an  old 


78        THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  TOWER, 

soldier,  whose  only  pleasure  is  in  fighting  and  drinking;  such 
an  elegant,  scholarly  gentleman  as  my  Elector,  chooses  very 
different  confidants  from  that  old  fighter.'  When  I  ventured 
to  ask,  '  Has  your  Majesty  read  your  most  noble  mother's 
letter?  Will  your  royal  grace  not  concede  a  little  to  your 
mother's  wishes,  and  fix  your  heavenly  eyes  upon  Germany, 
where  a  handsome  young  prince  has  turned  his  thoughts 
with  ardent  love  toward  the  fairest,  most  distinguished  prin- 
cess in  allEurope,  namely,  your  Majesty? '  The  young  Queen 
replied  with  a  charming  smile:  '  I  know  not  of  what  prince 
you  speak.  There  are  many  princes  in  Germany,  and  doubt- 
less all  would  find  it  right  pleasant  to  wed  me,  since  I  have 
a  kingdom  for  a  dowry.  Of  what  prince  do  you  speak,  then? ' 
'  Your  Majesty,'  answered  I,  '  I  speak  of  the  handsomest, 
youngest,  most  amiable  prince  in  Germany — of—  '  Of 

young  Archduke  Leopold  of  Austria,  his  father's  heir  appar- 
ent?' interrupted  she.  'Well,  that  certainly  would  be  an 
acceptable  match  for  a  queen,  for  when  the  archduke  becomes 
Emperor  he  will  at  least  be  the  most  distinguished  prince 
in  Europe.'  '  Madam,'  replied  I  gravely,  and  I  believe  with 
becoming  dignity,  '  I  am  not  speaking  of  the  Archduke  Leo- 
pold of  Austria,  and  I  esteem  it  very  questionable  if  he  will 
ever  become  Emperor  of  Germany.  I  speak  of  the  young 
Elector  Frederick  William  of  Brandenburg,  your  cousin,  and 
not  only  the  favorite  of  your  mother  but  of  all  the  ladies.' 
'  Oh,  of  him,'  replied  her  young  Majesty  snappishly.  '  You 
are  right,  he  does  indeed  seem  the  favorite  of  the  ladies,  and 
doubtless  many  Ariadne-like  tears  will  be  shed  upon  the  occa- 
sion of  his  approaching  marriage.  They  say  he  is  engaged  to 
Mademoiselle  d'Orleans,  and  that  it  was  Cardinal  Mazarin  who 
brought  about  the  match.'  '  Your  Majesty/  cried  I,  '  that  is 
a  mistake.  The  Elector  is  not  engaged  to  Mademoiselle  d'Or- 
leans.' '  Well  then,  it  is  the  little  Princess  of  Orange,'  said 
her  Majesty,  proudly  throwing  back  her  head.  '  The  States 
and  the  Prince  of  Orange  will  no  doubt  be  very  eager  to  accept 
the  Elector's  urgent  suit.'  '  Your  Majesty,'  protested  I,  '  in- 
deed the  Elector  has  never  wooed  the  Princess  of  Orange,  and 
it  has  never  entered  his  mind  to  marry  that  young  lady.'  '  Well 
then,  it  is  the  Archduchess  of  Austria  or  a  princess  of  Poland.' 


LOVE'S  COURIER  RETURNS.  79 

cried  the  Queen,  with  a  laugh  which  seemed  much  more  the 
result  of  pique  than  of  merriment.  '  The  Elector  seems  to 
be  so  much  courted,  and  so  many  marriageable  princesses 
are  offered  to  him,  that  he  will  be  puzzled  to  make  a  choice.' 
*  Your  Majesty! '  cried  I,  with  commendable  ardor,  t  the  Elec- 
tor finds  no  difficulty  whatever  in  the  matter.  He  will  only 
follow  the  dictates  of  his  heart,  and  his  heart  has  long  since 
made  its  choice.  His  heart  is  fixed  with  longing  upon  the 
young,  lovely,  fascinating  Queen  of  the  North,  ijie  inspiring 
Muse,  the  heavenly  goddess,  who  has  descended  from  Olym- 
pus to  bless  mankind.'  Your  highness  must  understand," 
explained  Burgsdorf,  "  that  this  is  the  style  in  which  Queen 
Christina's  court  speak  of  and  to  her.  There  is  a  perpetual 
scattering  of  incense  and  sounding  of  praises,  and  the  Queen 
is  so  used  to  it  that  it  seems  quite  natural  to  her  to  be  called 
a  goddess  or  fairy.  She  instantly  understood  whom  I  meant 
when  I  spoke  of  the  Muse  and  goddess.  '  Sir! '  cried  she,  and 
your  grace  should  have  seen  how  her  eyes  flashed  and  how 
proud  she  looked — '  sir,  I  am  not  of  the  number  of  princesses 
who  may  be  chosen;  it  is  for  me  to  choose  the  man  whom  I 
shall  honor  with  my  hand!  But  I  must  acknowledge  that  I 
have  as  yet  no  desire  whatever  to  marry,  and  when  I  do,  it 
must  be  first  strictly  stipulated  that  my  husband  shall  not 
pretend  to  be  my  lord,  and  arrogate  to  himself  authority  over 
me;  but  be  subject  to  me,  and  always  recognize  me  as  the 
Sovereign  Queen  of  Sweden,  who  submits  to  no  guidance,  biit 
that  of  her  own  head! ' ; 

"  Ah!  she  said  that,  did  she?  "  asked  the  Elector,  smiling. 

"  Your  highness,  those  are  her  own  words,"  affirmed  Burgs- 
dorf, reaching  out  for  the  bottle  and  filling  his  glass.  "  I  beg 
permission  to  apply  a  little  more  rosin." 

"  Those  are  my  little  cousin's  views,  then?  "  said  the  Elec- 
tor. "  She  will  only  accept  a  husband  who  will  at  once  be- 
come her  slave,  and  receive  all  honors  and  dignities  through 
her." 

"Yes,  your  highness,"  replied  Burgsdorf,  "only  a  hus- 
band who  will  obey  orders.  Her  Majesty  afterward  expressed 
herself  yet  more  fully  and  decidedly  upon  the  subject,  and, 
moreover,  in  the  presence  and  with  the  approbation  of  Chan- 


80  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

cellor  Oxenstiern,  who  is  a  very  proud  and  cunning  man, 
and  so  intends  to  guard  by  clauses  all  the  freedoms,  privi- 
leges, and  honors  of  the  Queen,  that  her  husband  will  be  a 
mere  cipher,  not  being  allowed  to  meddle  in  affairs  of  state 
or  even  occupy  a  prominent  position.  The  very  first  condi- 
tion of  this  union  is  to  be  that  her  husband  shall  not  at  all 
share  her  rank,  or  occupy  a  place  on  the  throne  beside  her. 
The  Queen's  husband  only  retains  the  rank  and  title  he  pos^ 
sessed  before  his  marriage;  on  all  state  occasions  his  station 
is  at  the  side  of  the  throne,  on  which  the  Queen  sits  alone; 
he  always  yields  her  Majesty  the  precedence,  and  walks  im^ 
mediately  behind  her.  He  has  neither  seat  nor  voice  in  the 
council  of  state,  and  expressly  promises  never  to  interfere  in 
Government  affairs.  The  honors  and  dignities  granted  him 
by  the  Queen  he  is  to  consider  not  as  his  right,  but  as  mere 
acts  of  grace.  All  these  conditions  the  Queen's  husband 
must  solemnly  pledge  himself  to  fulfill." 

"  And  what  think  you,  old  friend?  "  asked  the  Elector, 
with  a  sly  smile.  "  Is  the  young  Queen  worth  so  much,  as  to 
justify  a  man  in  bowing  to  the  earth  before  her  and  becoming 
a  simple  possession  of  hers?  Is  the  Queen  beautiful,  amiable, 
and  sweet-tempered?  Has  she  a  kind  heart?  Does  she  possess 
the  qualities  needful  for  a  husband's  happiness?  Is  she  gentle, 
patient,  intelligent,  and  unselfish?" 

Burgsdorf  cast  down  his  eyes  thoughtfully,  and  his  counte- 
nance was  expressive  of  confusion  and  embarrassment.  "  Is 
your  highness  asking  me  in  sober  earnest,  and  do  you  desire 
me  to  give  an  honest,  candid  answer?  " 

"  An  honest  and  candid  answer,  Burgsdorf!  For  what 
reason  did  I  send  you  to  Stockholm  but  that  you  might  see 
and  hear,  faithfully  reporting  to  me  the  result  of  your  observa- 
tions? Have  no  concealments  with  me,  lord  high  chamberlain, 
but  tell  me  all  you  know  without  reserve;  for  I  know  you.  I 
know  that  behind  your  broad,  good-natured  face  lies  hidden 
a  crafty  mind,  and  that  you  are  a  wolf  who  knows  how  to  as- 
sume sheep's  clothing.  Speak  then,  Burgsdorf,  honestly  and 
openly! " 

"  Yes,  your  highness,  I  will.  So  help  me  God,  I  shall  give 
you  my  honest,  true  sentiments." 


LOVE'S  COURIER  RETURNS.  81 

"  If,  for  example,  you  were  a  prince  like  myself,  would 
you  like  to  have  the  Queen  of  Sweden  for  a  wife?  " 

"  Heaven  forfend!  "  cried  Burgsdorf,  with  an  expression 
of  genuine  horror.  "  That  is  to  say,"  he  continued,  soften- 
ing down,  "  it  would  be  a  very  different  case  for  me.  Were 
I  called  Elector  of  Brandenburg  ten  times  over,  I  should  be 
nothing  but  the  rough,  ignorant  old  fellow  I  am  at  present, 
and  such  a  man  the  Queen  would  not  suit.  But  with  your- 
self, gracious  sir,  all  is  so  different!  You  are  learned,  polished, 
handsome,  and  young — you  are  in  all  respects  the  Queen's 
equal." 

"  Queen  Christina,  then,  is  very  learned  and  cultivated  ?  " 

"  Fearfully  learned  and  excessively  cultivated,"  sighed 
Burgsdorf,  casting  up  to  heaven  his  little  watery  blue  eyes. 
"  I  never  could  have  believed  that  a  woman  could  be  so  learned 
and  wise,  and  find  so  much  pleasure  in  sheep's-leather 
men  and  books." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  sheep's-leather  men,  old  Burgs- 
dorf? " 

"  I  understand  by  that  learned  gentlemen,  who  look  and 
act  as  if  they  were  living  in  leather-bound  folios.  I  assure 
your  grace  these  savants  are  like  walking  encyclopaedias:  if 
they  talk  it  is  always  as  if  they  were  reading  aloud,  and  their 
intrusive  wisdom  has  the  same  effect  upon  a  man  as  a  great 
bluebottle  fly  buzzing  around  his  head  and  bewildering  his 
senses.  But  the  Queen  is  charmed  with  all  this,  and  the  more 
sublimated  the  nonsense  they  talk,  the  better  pleased  is  she 
and  the  more  radiant  becomes  her  countenance.  She  enter- 
tains no  one  at  her  court  but  learned  men,  artists,  and  poets, 
and  however  ugly  and  revolting  the  appearance  of  these  men, 
the  Queen  thinks  them  handsome,  and  talks  for  hours  at  a 
time  with  some  old  owl  of  a  scholar,  while  she  takes  no  notice 
of  the  young  noblemen  of  her  court,  unless  they  are  distin- 
guished for  some  accomplishment  or  other." 

"  I  am  pleased  to  hear  this  of  my  dear  cousin,"  exclaimed 
the  Elector,  with  animation.  "  It  proves  that  she  possesses  a 
noble,  high-strung  soul,  and  has  nothing  of  the  levity  of  her 
sex  about  her.  Oh,  how  I  envy  her  the  happiness  of  being 
able  to  assemble  around  her  a  court  of  scholars,  artists,  and 


82  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

poets,  by  their  companionship  refreshing  and  ennobling  her 
own  spirit." 

"  For  my  part,"  said  Burgsdorf ,  "  I  could  many  a  time 
see  nothing  either  refreshing  or  ennobling  in  what  was  going 
on,  and  in  spite  of  all  their  learning,  poetry,  and  art,  they 
have  occasionally  quite  a  respectable  quarrel.  I  can  tell  your 
highness  a  charming  anecdote  in  point,  the  circumstances  of 
which  I  was  eyewitness  to  myself." 

"  Tell  it!  tell  it!  "  cried  the  Elector  eagerly,  himself  con- 
descending to  open  the  second  bottle  and  fill  his  high  cham- 
berlain's goblet  to  the  brim.  "What  sort  of  an  anecdote? 
Where  did  it  occur?  " 

"  At  court,  and  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the 
Queen  herself,  most  gracious  sir.  A  short  time  ago  a  whole 
shipload  of  learned  men  arrived  there,  and  during  my  first 
andience  the  Queen  remarked  to  me  that  I  had  come  to  her 
court  at  a  very  fortunate  time,  for  there  was  no  court  in  all 
Europe  where  were  assembled  so  many  distinguished  and  re- 
nowned men  as  at  hers.  I  was  to  observe  everything  closely, 
that  I  might  give  an  account  of  what  I  saw  to  the  Elector  of 
Brandenburg.  The  Queen  even  had  the  kindness  to  introduce 
me  to  one  of  these  learned  monsters.  She  said  to  me:  '  Sir, 
since  you  appear  as  my  mother's  ambassador,  and  have  been 
the  bearer  of  a  letter  from  her  grace,  I  will  reward  you  by 
admitting  you  to  participation  in  a  rare  piece  of  good  fortune. 
Behold  the  greatest  and  most  world-renowned  of  philosophers! 
The  French  boasts  that  he  was  born  in  France,  and  call  him 
Descartes,  but  all  Europe  claims  and  is  proud  of  him,  and  he 
has  ceased  to  be  a  Frenchman,  for  he  is  a  sage  and  is  known 
to  the  whole  world  as  Cartesius — Eobertus  Cartesius.' 5) 

"Was  Cartesius  there?"  exclaimed  the  Elector  warmly. 
"  Did  you  have  the  happiness  of  seeing  Cartesius,  the  great 
philosopher  and  mathematician?  " 

"  Now  your  highness  begins  in  the  same  strain,"  sighed 
Burgsdorf.  "  Now  you  speak  of  the  happiness  which  I  have 
enjoyed.  Well,  I  did  see  Cartesius,  but  what  saw  I?  A  little 
fellow,  who  is  certainly  the  very  ugliest  man  ever  created, 
and  an  ape  would  not  herself  discover  the  deception  if  Car- 
tesius should  palm  himself  off  as  her  son.  The  very  children 


LOVE'S  COURIER  RETURNS.  83 

in  the  street  begin  to  cry  and  scream  when  they  meet  him. 
But  Queen  Christina  finds  him  not  only  handsome  but  kiss- 
able,  at  least  according  to  a  little  story  told  me  by  Count  Oxen- 
stiern.  Cartesius  was  taking  a  walk  in  the  palace  garden,  and, 
wholly  absorbed  in  his  mathematical  problems,  had  seated 
himself  under  a  laurel  tree  and  fallen  asleep.  Now  the  Queen 
came  along  with  her  ladies,  who  saw  the  sleeping  philosopher, 
laughed  at  him,  and  disputed  whether  he  looked  like  an  ape 
or  a  tiger-cat.  The  Queen,  however,  reproved  them  severely, 
softly  approached,  broke  off  two  large  branches  of  the  laurel 
tree,  and  wove  them  into  a  wreath  on  which  she  fastened  her 
own  breastpin,  consisting  of  two  magnificent  diamonds.  This 
wreath  she  gently  placed  on  Cartesius's  bald  head,  then  stooped 
down  over  him,  kissed  his  lips  and  called  out:  l  Wake  up,  my 
master!  Wisdom  may  not  sleep,  else  folly  will  gain  still  more 
power  upon  earth.  Wake  up,  my  teacher,  for  your  pupil  is 
beside  you  and  would  learn  of  you! '  "  * 

"  Burgsdorf,  that  is  charming!  "  cried  the  Elector;  "  and 
upon  the  strength  of  this  one  story  I  could  almost  fall  des- 
perately in  love  with  this  intellectual  young  Queen." 

"  God  forbid!  "  muttered  Burgsdorf,  as,  quite  shocked,  he 
drew  back  the  hand  which  he  had  stretched  out  for  his  glass 
of  wine. 

"But  in  this  charming  little  anecdote  I  see  nothing  of 
quarreling  and  contention,"  said  the  Elector.  "I  thought 
you  were  to  tell  of  such  things." 

"  Gracious  sir,  the  real  story  is  yet  to  come,  and  this  was 
only  the  introduction.  I  was  obliged  to  begin  by  telling  you 
how  many  scholars  and  artists  were  to  be  found  at  the  Queen's 
court  at  that  time.  There  was  also  the  learned  Abbot  Bour- 
delot,  who  had  translated  into  French  the  poems  of  a  certain 
Latin  or  Greek  poet  named  Homer;  moreover  there  was  an 
Italian,  a  Marquis  Monaldeschi,  by  whom  the  Queen  is  in- 
structed in  the  Italian  language,  and  who  is  an  improvisator, 
as  she  calls  it,  and  makes  impromptu  the  finest  verses.  The 
Queen  was  often  so  carried  away  that  she  would  burst  into 
tears  and  offer  him  both  her  hands.  Then  the  marquis  would 
fall  upon  his  knees  before  her,  kiss  the  tips  of  her  fingers,  and 
*  Historical.  See  Curiosities,  vol.  ix. 


84  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER 

press  the  hem  of  her  garment  to  his  lips.  Thereupon  he  would 
again  begin  to  declaim,  and  the  scene  always  closed  by  the 
Queen  bestowing  upon  him  a  jewel,  a  ring,  a  diamond  pin,  or 
some  such  present." 

"  Is  the  marquis  also  as  ugly  a  man  as  Cartesius?  "  asked 
the  Elector. 

"  By  no  means,  your  highness;  he  is  quite  a  young  and  an 
uncommonly  handsome  man,  and  it  is  whispered —  But  I 
am  again  turning  aside  from  my  story.  One  more  savant  was 
there,  of  whom  the  Queen  made  a  great  deal;  Meibom  was 
his  name." 

"  Meibom!  "  exclaimed  the  Elector,  starting  up.  "  Marcus 
Meibom,  formerly  of  Amsterdam,  who  published  there  so 
famous  a  treatise  on  the  music  of  the  ancient  Greeks  and 
Romans?  " 

"  It  may  well  be,  your  highness,  for  his  name  is  Marcus, 
too,  and  the  ancients  are  ever  upon  his  tongue,  and  what  is 
not  Greek  or  Latin  he  despises  and  abuses  roundly.  Accord- 
ingly he  had  told  Queen  Christina  that  the  musical  instru- 
ments now  in  use  were  quite  pitiful,  and  that  none  of  the 
modern  music  heard  in  royal  chapels  was  to  be  compared  with 
the  music  of  the  old  Greeks  and  Romans.  The  Queen  was 
naturally  very  curious  to  become  acquainted  with  this  ex- 
quisitely delightful  music  of  the  Greeks,  and  she  begged  Mar- 
cus Meibom  to  have  such  instruments  prepared  under  his  own 
direction.  He  did  so,  and  when  they  were  finished,  a  Greek 
concert  was  to  be  given  in  the  Queen's  apartments.  The 
whole  court  was  invited,  and  the  Queen  deigned  to  appoint 
me  a  place  quite  near  her,  that  I  might  have  the  very  best  op- 
portunity of  seeing  and  hearing.  Now  the  concert  was  to 
begin,  and  the  Greek  musicians  marched  in  with  their  curious 
instruments.  Marcus  Meibom  himself  preceded  them.  He 
had  assumed  the  Greek  costume,  and  looked  ridiculous  and 
mean  enough  with  his  bare  legs  blue  with  cold,  and  a  piece  of 
red  stuff  thrown  around  him  as  a  mantle.  On  his  head  he  wore 
a  laurel  wreath,  and  in  his  arms  he  held  a  queer-looking  in- 
strument that  he  had  constructed  himself.  He  called  it  a 
barbiton,  and  was  to  accompany  himself  on  it,  while  he  sang 
a  song,  which  a  certain  Pindar  had  composed  and  Marcus 


LOVE'S  COURIER  RETURNS.  85 

Meibom  had  set  to  music.  I  assure  your  grace,  as  the  fellow 
came  marching  in  with  outstretched  legs  and  head  thrown 
back,  with  his  barbiton  on  his  arm  and  his  eyes  turned  up  in 
rapture  toward  heaven,  I  could  not  help  smiling,  and,  look- 
ing around,  I  saw  that  all  the  courtiers  seemed  to  be  amused. 
But  just  at  this  moment  the  Queen  said,  '  Viola  Apollon,  le 
roi  des  Muses  en  personne,'  and  all  faces  quickly  became  seri- 
ous again,  and  I  used  my  utmost  exertions  to  recover  my 
gravity.  And  now  Marcus  Meibom  planted  himself  close  be- 
fore the  Queen.  A  long  pause  ensued,  and  nothing  was  heard 
but  the  softly  whispering  voice  of  the  Marquis  Monaldeschi, 
who  was  standing  behind  her  Majesty's  chair,  and  stooped  so 
low  down  to  her  that  his  handsome  head  almost  touched  her 
fair  and  naked  shoulders.  He  whispered  a  few  words  in  her 
ear,  and  she  smiled  a  little,  but  quickly  grew  serious  again 
and  fixed  her  large,  blue  eyes  upon  Marcus  Meibom.  He  now 
seized  the  barbiton  with  both  hands,  held  it  before  him  with 
the  left,  and  with  the  right  attacked  the  strings,  which  growled 
like  an  old  bass  viol.  Then  followed  another  pause,  and  now 
Meibom  began  to  sing.  That  is  to  say,  gracious  sir,  he 
stretched  open  his  mouth  and  there  came  forth  a  couple  of 
loud,  shrill  notes,  that  sounded  just  as  if  an  ass  were  braying 
after  thistles.  I  could  not  help  it,  sir;  I  exploded  with 
laughter,  and  my  laugh  proved  contagious,  infecting  the  whole 
court.  Meibom  did  as  if  he  saw  nothing,  and  treated  us 
to  another  strain  of  falsetto,  casting,  however,  a  withering 
glance  upon  Abbot  Bourdelot,  whom  the  Queen  had  beckoned 
to  her  side,  and  whose  fine  full-moon  face  shone  with  pleas- 
ure and  delight.  Now  came  another  loud  ass's  bray  from 
Meibom,  and  Abbot  Bourdelot  laughed  aloud,  the  Queen 
heartily  joining  in.  Then  Marcus  Meibom  leaped  up  high, 
as  if  an  adder  had  stung  him,  threw  his  barbiton  so  violently 
upon  the  ground  that  it  was  dashed  to  pieces,  rushed  upon 
the  abbot  like  a  wounded  boar,  and  gave  him  a  box  on  the 
ear — such  a  rousing  one,  sir,  as  I  might  administer  to  my 
servant." 

"And  the  Abbot  Bourdelot?"  asked  the  Elector,  much 
amused. 

"  Well,  Abbot  Bourdelot  did  the  best  thing  that  could  be 


80  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

done:  he  laughed  yet  louder,  the  Queen  and  the  whole  court 
laughing  with  him,  so  that  Marcus  Meibom  become  raving 
mad  and  rushed  out  of  the  hall  like  one  possessed.* 

"  Truly  that  is  a  most  entertaining  story,  and  I  envy  you 
for  having  been  present  at  the  scene.  Did  the  Queen  do  noth- 
ing afterward  to  soothe  the  antiquarian's  feelings?  " 

"  She  tried,  but  could  not  succeed,  for  Meibom  was  perfect- 
ly desperate,  and  would  not  remain  another  day.  He  furi- 
ously demanded  his  dismissal,  that  he  might  take  passage  on 
a  vessel  about  to  set  sail  for  Amsterdam.  So  the  Queen  was 
forced  to  dismiss  him,  although  loth  to  do  so,  and  to  com- 
pensate him  in  some  degree  for  his  mortification,  she  gave 
him  a  valuable  diamond  ring  and  her  own  portrait  encircled 
with  diamonds." 

"It  seems  that  the  Queen  possesses  a  great  many  dia- 
monds," said  the  Elector  thoughtfully;  "  and  she  is  very  gen- 
erous, is  she  not?" 

"  Most  gracious  sir,  do  you  call  that  generosity?  People 
in  Sweden  whisper  under  their  breath  that  their  young 
Queen  is  recklessly  extravagant,  changing  all  the  crown  prop- 
erty into  diamonds  and  trinkets,  to  be  thrown  away  upon 
strangers  and  foreigners." 

"  Do  you  belong  to  the  number  of  foreigners  who  reap 
the  benefit  of  this  prodigality?  " 

"I?  God  forbid!"  exclaimed  Burgsdorf  with  an  expres- 
sion of  the  deepest  indignation.  "  I  am  no  scholar,  or  artist, 
or  Italian  improvisator,  but  merely  a  plain  German  noble- 
man, too  clumsy  to  dance  to  the  merry  piping  of  the  Queen. 
I  got  nothing,  not  even  one  little  diamond." 

"  That  is  perceptible  by  the  chagrin  you  manifest,"  slyly 
interposed  the  Elector. 

"I  got  nothing,"  continued  Burgsdorf,  "but  sarcastic 
speeches  at  my  departure.  Sarcastic  compliments  for  the 
widowed  Queen,  who  had  committed  the  great  offense  of  drop- 
ping the  title  of  Majesty  in  addressing  her  daughter,  besides 
using  such  affectionate  and  tender  language  as  is  customary 
among  common  people,  but  not  seemly  when  used  by  a  mother, 

*  Historical  scenes.    See  Samuel  Buchholtz,  History  of  the  Electorate 
of  Brandenburg,  vol.  vi,  p.  53. 


LOVE'S  COURIER  RETURNS.  87 

who  is  the  subject  of  her  daughter,  a  reigning  Queen.  These 
were  her  Majesty's  own  words.  l  And  as  regards  the  Elector 
and  his  wishes,'  said  the  Queen,  *  let  him  prove  his  love  by 
deeds,  if  he  would  convince  me  of  it.  If  he  submits  himself 
wholly  to  my  will,  then  I  shall  see  whether  I  will  accept  his 
offer  and  choose  him  for  my  husband.  All  the  unmarried 
princes  of  Europe  are  my  suitors.  Only  to  the  most  ardent 
lover  shall  I  sacrifice  my  freedom.  Let  the  Elector  endeavor 
to  conquer  my  royal  heart  by  an  urgent  suit.' ': 

"  And  after  conquering  it  become  the  slave  of  her  caprices, 
the  subject  of  her  whims!  "  cried  the  Elector  quickly.  "  How 
ran  the  conditions  of  arriving  at  this  state  of  happiness?  The 
husband  of  the  Queen  is  to  claim  neither  the  title  nor  rank 
of  King;  he  is  not  to  sit  beside  her  on  her  throne,  but  stand 
humbly  aside;  always  yield  his  wife  precedence,  and  walk 
behind  her;  have  neither  seat  nor  voice  in  the  council  of  state, 
and  pledge  himself  never  by  word  or  deed  to  meddle  in  Govern- 
ment affairs." 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  purport  of  the  bond  which  you  are  to 
sign;  and  if  you  do  so,  gracious  sir,  you  have  the  hope  of  be- 
coming the  Queen's  husband.  This  is  the  result  of  my  Swedish 
journey,  gracious  sir!  Affix  your  signature,  and  the  Elector 
of  Brandenburg  has  the  honor  of  being  a  queen's  husband!  " 

"  The  Elector  of  Brandenburg  declines  the  honor,"  ex- 
claimed Frederick  William  proudly.  "  It  is  unworthy  of  him 
to  be  only  the  husband  of  a  queen,  and  he  covets  not  a  crown 
that  brings  no  power  with  it."  * 

"  You  will  not  marry  the  Queen  of  Sweden,  then?  "  asked 
Burgsdorf,  with  brightening  countenance. 

"  No !  "  exclaimed  the  Elector,  with  powerful  voice — "  no, 
I  will  not  marry  Queen  Christina  of  Sweden!  It  is  over  with 
that  plan  forever,  and  I  must  say  it  was  almost  a  thing  deter- 
mined before  you  came.  Your  information,  however,  has 
turned  the  scale,  and  the  matter  is  settled  for  all  time!  " 

"And  I  thank  God  for  it! "  cried  Burgsdorf,  clasping  his 
hands  rapturously  together.  "  If  I  thought  that  my  glorious 
young  Elector  were  to  marry  that  learned  and  haughty  Queen, 

*  The  Elector's  own  words.     Vide  Droysen,  History  of  Prussian  Poli- 
tics. 


88  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

I  would  be  ready  to  cry  just  like  any  old  woman.  For  it  is 
obvious,  your  highness,  it  may  be  very  pleasant  to  converse 
with  so  intelligent  a  lady,  but  to  marry  her — pshaw!  chills 
run  over  me  whenever  I  think  of  it!  And  what  would  become 
of  us  poor  Markers,  with  a  mistress  prizing  nothing  but  what 
is  foreign,  and  perpetually  surrounded  by  a  swarm  of  French- 
men and  Italians?  Ah,  your  highness,  I  thank  you  in  the 
name  of  all  your  subjects,  for  not  becoming  the  Queen  of 
Sweden's  husband.  You  might  have  been  a  powerful  sover- 
eign, but  assuredly  an  unhappy  man;  and  we  all  love  you  so 
much  that  our  first  desire  is  to  see  you  happy.  There  must 
be  some  other  young  lady  in  the  world  whom  your  highness  can 
marry,  besides  Queen  Christina?  " 

"  Must  I  be  married  then,  nolens  volens?  "  asked  the  Elec- 
tor. 

"  Yes,  your  highness,  and  that  as  soon  as  possible!  " 

"  Well  then,  if  it  is  so  decidedly  necessary,"  said  the  Elec- 
tor, smiling,  "  read  this  paper." 

He  took  from  his  writing  table  a  letter,  and  handed  it  to 
the  lord  high  chamberlain. 


IX. — NOTE   BRIGHT  ElSEN,  NOTH  LEHRT  BETEN.* 

BURGSDORF  took  the  letter  and  had  hardly  read  two  lines 
before  his  broad  face  flushed,  and  a  joyful  smile  lighted  up 
his  features. 

"Is  it  possible?"  exclaimed  he  with  delight.  "Is  your 
grace  actually  contemplating  an  alliance  with  the  house  of 
Orange?" 

"  Yes,  I  am  thinking  of  it,  and  the  Sovereign  States  like- 
wise think  of  forming  an  alliance  with  the  house  of  Branden- 
burg. We  need  each  other,  and  would  conclude  a  league  offen- 

*  As  there  is  no  equivalent  proverb  in  the  English,  the  translator 
judged  it  best  to  leave  this  adage  in  the  original  at  the  head  of  the  chap- 
ter, the  literal  translation  being,  "Necessity  breaks  iron,  necessity 
teaches  to  pray." 


NOTE   BRIGHT  EISEN,  NOTH  LEHRT  BETEN.          89 

sive  and  defensive,  whose  token  is  to  be  the  little  Princess  of 
Orange.  Her  father,  Prince  Frederick  Henry,  is  old  and  in- 
firm. Holland  dreads  the  power  and  ambition  of  his  son,  and 
would  secure  herself  against  them.  Therefore  she  wants 
peace  with  Spain,  that  she  may  have  rest  without,  and  check 
the  encroachments  of  the  young  Stadtholder  within.  I  need 
Holland's  assistance  at  the  congress  of  Miinster  to  prevent 
Sweden  from  wresting  Pomerania  from  me,  and  Holland 
promises  me  the  whole  weight  of  her  influence  as  soon  as  I 
have  pledged  my  good  faith  to  her,  by  forming  an  engagement 
with  the  Princess  of  Orange." 

"  And  your  grace  has  made  a  most  judicious  choice,  I 
believe,"  cried  Burgsdorf  joyfully.  "  All  the  world  praises 
the  Princess  of  Orange  as  a  model  of  grace  and  loveliness! 
Oh,  and  how  it  will  vex  the  learned  Queen  of  Sweden  to  see 
the  Princess  preferred  to  herself!  " 

"  She  is,  indeed,  quite  the  opposite  of  my  royal  cousin 
Christina.  I  sent  Ewald  von  Kleist  on  a  secret  mission  to 
Holland,  similar  to  your  own  at  the  court  of  Sweden.  He 
was  to  see  how  the  land  lay,  and  he  has  been  at  home  now  for 
three  days." 

"Your  highness  then  courted  two  princesses  at  once!" 
exclaimed  Burgsdorf  in  amazement. 

"  Not  exactly  courted;  but  it  is  always  well  to  have  two 
paths  to  select  from,  that  if  one  should  be  obstructed  you  may 
turn  to  the  other.  This  seems  to  me  a  most  important  prin- 
ciple in  life  as  in  politics,  and  one  that  I  shall  act  upon  all  my 
life." 

"  Yes,  but  suppose  I  had  obtained  the  consent  of  the  Queen 
of  Sweden  also.  What  could  your  highness  have  done  with 
two  brides?" 

"  I  would  have  weighed  them  both  in  the  scales  of  policy, 
and  chosen  her  whose  side  preponderated;  for  the  head  alone 
is  my  matrimonial  agent,  the  heart  has  nothing  to  do  in  the 
matter.  A  prince  must  marry  from  motives  of  prudence,  not 
from  personal  considerations.  I  would  form  an  alliance  with 
Holland,  because  she  is  a  useful  ally.  It  is  a  fortunate  coin- 
cidence for  me  that  the  Princess  of  Orange  is  very  amiable, 
lovely,  and  attractive.  Ewald  von  Kleist  is  never  tired  of 


90  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

descanting  upon  her  astonishing  amiability,  and  assures  me 
that  all  Holland  is  in  love  with  the  young  Princess.  She,  too, 
has  a  suitor  whose  highest  ambition  it  is  to  become  her  hus- 
band. The  Prince  of  Wales  is  at  present  residing  at  The 
Hague,  on  account  of  the  dreadfully  unsettled  state  of  affairs 
in  England,  and  is  desperately  in  love  with  the  Princess  of 
Orange.  From  this  I  conclude  that  she  is  charming  and 
lovely,  for  the  Stuarts  have  a  keen  eye  for  beauty  of  the  body 
as  of  the  mind.  They  inherit  this  from  their  ancestress  Mary 
Stuart." 

"  But  the  Princess  frowns  upon  the  Prince  of  Wales.  She 
rejects  the  Stuart  in  favor  of  the  young  Elector  of  Branden- 
burg, who  can  cope  with  all  the  Stuarts  in  the  world." 

"  She  does  neither  the  one  thing  nor  the  other,  for  she 
knows  nothing  of  my  suit.  I  merely  sent  Ewald  von  Kleist 
to  pioneer  my  way,  and  find  out  the  dispositions  of  the  Prince 
of  Orange,  with  the  express  stipulation  that  these  prelimi- 
naries should  for  the  present  be  concealed  from  the  Princess. 
Now,  as  the  Stadtholder  has  granted  me  his  consent,  and  I 
have  acquitted  myself  of  my  princely  obligations,  I  should 
like  for  once  to  indulge  myself  by  acting  as  a  young  man  and 
engage  in  a  romantic  little  adventure.  I  should  like  to  find 
out  whether  the  Princess  of  Orange  would  accept  my  hand 
merely  in  obedience  to  the  behest  of  her  father,  Prince  Henry, 
and  whether,  if  she  had  her  choice,  she  would  prefer  the 
Prince  of  Wales." 

"  And  if  such  were  the  case,  which  I  never,  never  can  be- 
lieve, would  your  highness  give  way  to  the  Prince  of  Wales?  " 

The  Elector  made  no  immediate  reply,  but  looked  thought- 
fully before  him.  "  Burgsdorf,"  said  he,  "  it  is  a  bitter  thing 
to  be  obliged  to  give  up  a  first  love,  and  I  am  indeed  unwill- 
ing that  for  my  sake  the  Princess  should  be  called  to  suffer 
such  a  grief.  A  man  must  be  strong  enough  to  bend  to  neces- 
sity, and  rank  duty  higher  than  love.  He  must  renounce  his 
own  inclinations,  conquer  pain,  and  yet  remain  himself.  But 
with  a  woman  the  case  is  different,  and  if  her  heart  is  crushed 
by  the  pressure  of  duty  and  necessity,  all  is  lost  with  it,  and  she 
makes  shipwreck  of  her  whole  being.  I  have  had  such  an  ex- 
perience in  my  own  life,  and  would  spare  my  little  cousin  such 


NOTH   BRIGHT  EISEN,  NOTH  LEHKT  BETEN.          91 

shipwreck,  for  she  lives  in  my  memory  as  a  pretty,  tender 
child,  from  whom  I  would  be  loth  to  draw  one  sigh.  There- 
fore would  I  go  to  The  Hague,  to  see  and  hear  for  myself;  and 
if  I  am  forced  to  admit  that  the  Princess  loves  Charles  Stuart, 
and  would  be  unhappy  if  called  upon  to  renounce  him,  I  will 
use  all  my  influence  with  her  father  to  induce  him  to  make 
the  young  couple  happy  by  sanctioning  their  union!  " 

"  And  yet  your  highness  accused  yourself  just  now  of  only 
employing  the  head  as  a  matrimonial  agent,  and  of  marrying 
only  out  of  prudence!  " 

"  But  I  can  not  require  of  a  young  girl  what  I  require  of 
myself,"  said  the  Elector.  "  Besides,  to  acknowledge  the 
whole  truth,  I  must  confess  that  it  is  galling  to  me  to  become 
the  husband  of  a  woman  who  offers  herself  to  me  only  as  a 
sacrifice  and  follows  me  to  the  altar  with  secret  tears.  In  one 
small  corner  of  his  heart  the  Prince  is  still  the  man,  and  al- 
though he  may  feel  no  love  himself,  yet  he  would  like  to  in- 
spire love,  or  at  least  not  be  regarded  with  abhorrence.  There- 
fore I  would  now  go  to  The  Hague,  privately  and  incognito, 
to  see  and  hear  for  myself  how  matters  stand,  and  whether 
Charles  Stuart  is  a  successful  rival." 

"  I  fear  your  highness  will  not  be  able  to  preserve  your 
incognito,"  remarked  Conrad  von  Burgsdorf,  shaking  his  head. 
"  Your  grace  can  not  so  quietly  change  your  scene  of  action. 
You  must  be  somewhere,  and  however  remote  the  place  of 
your  retreat,  it  will  soon  become  known." 

"  Then  I  will  set  out  on  my  journey  publicly  and  with  all 
pomp;  let  it  be  known,  too,  that  I  am  going  to  Holland  to  be 
married,  else  the  States  would  grant  me  no  money  for  this 
journey.  Alas!  that  I  should  be  compelled  to  have  recourse 
to  the  States  for  money!  I  have  already  written  to  the  Stadt- 
holder  in  Prussia,  as  well  as  the  deliberative  assembly  there, 
that  a  tax  should  be  imposed  for  the  defrayal  of  expenses  at- 
tending my  marriage,  and  for  the  ordering  of  my  new  house- 
hold." 

"Your  highness  will  not  wait  until  this  tax  is  granted, 
will  you?  "  asked  Burgsdorf,  quite  shocked. 

"  No,  old  man,  that  would  involve  too  great  a  delay,"  re- 
plied the  Elector.  "  The  States  are  not  very  prompt  in  mak- 


<J2  TI1E  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

ing  grants  of  money,  quarreling,  wrangling,  and  disputing 
over  each  head  in  a  manner  altogether  shameful,  and  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  providing  the  barely  necessary.  No,  I 
would  have  long  to  wait,  were  I  to  defer  my  marriage  until 
I  received  a  grant  of  money  from  the  States,  and  it  might  easily 
happen  that  meanwhile  Sweden  and  France  would  succeed  in 
rendering  abortive  a  journey  so  exceedingly  distasteful  to  them. 
Upon  my  urgent  solicitation  my  mother  had  the  goodness 
to  lend  me  three  thousand  dollars,  and  this  sum  may 
serve  to  meet  expenses,  until  the  States  have  granted  what 
I  need." 

"  We  must  allow  them  no  rest!  "  cried  Burgsdorf  passion- 
ately. "  They  must  be  perpetually  reminded  of  their  duty." 

"  I  empower  you  to  do  this  in  my  name,"  said  the  Elector, 
"  for  we  are  indeed  in  pressing  need  of  this  money.  The  three 
thousand  dollars  will  hardly  complete  the  needful  prepara- 
tions for  our  journey,  for  it  is  not  our  intention  to  appear 
there  as  a  poor,  beggarly  Prince,  but,  as  becomes  us,  in  prince- 
ly style,  with  a  rich  attendance  of  equipages  and  servants,  and 
a  bodyguard  in  new  and  splendid  uniforms." 

"  And  then  there  is  your  grace's  wedding  outfit  to  be 
thought  of,"  said  Burgsdorf  thoughtfully.  "  For  you  must 
appear  before  those  rich  mynheers  and  merchants  in  a  man- 
ner calculated  to  inspire  them  with  sentiments  of  respect  and 
astonishment." 

"  That  is  very  true,"  sighed  the  Elector.  "  It  would  cer- 
tainly be  advisable  to  make  an  impression  by  the  princely 
splendor  of  my  own  wardrobe;  but  how  are  such  elegancies  to 
be  procured,  seeing  that  we  have  no  means  of  paying  for 
them?  " 

"  Most  gracious  sir,"  cried  Burgsdorf  joyfully,  after  a  little 
thought,  "  if  we  can  not  pay  for  such  magnificent  wedding 
clothes,  then  let  us  borrow." 

"  Yes,  but  where  are  those  who  will  lend  to  us?  "  asked 
the  Elector,  sighing.  "  Here,  in  our  own  territories,  we  have 
no  silk  and  velvet  factories,  no  jewelers  and  embroiderers  in 
gold.  We  must  procure  everything  from  abroad,  and  there 
is  not  a  tailor  in  Berlin  capable  of  making  up  such  handsome 
clothes,  even  if  we  were  to  provide  him  with  the  richest  stuffs. 


NOTH   BRIGHT  EISEN,  NOTE  LEHRT  BETEN.          93 

Such  things,  however,  can  only  be  obtained  abroad  for  cash, 
and  I  have  no  money.  All  my  coffers  are  empty." 

"  Gracious  sir,  your  clothes  must  be  made  at  the  place 
where  you  are  to  be  married,"  cried  Burgsdorf  merrily.  "  In 
Holland  are  to  be  found  manufactories  of  silk  and  velvet, 
jewelers  and  embroiderers  in  gold.  In  Holland  also  are 
clever  tailors,  who  understand  the  finest  intricacies  of  their 
art.  Now,  all  these  men  will  be  proud  to  credit  the  exalted 
Prince  who  is  to  wed  the  Princess  of  Orange,  and  thus  become 
in  some  sort  their  fellow-country  man.  Gracious  sir,  let  us 
hasten  to  Holland,  there  to  order  your  bridal  outfit." 

"  The  thought  is  good,  and  we  will  act  upon  it,"  nodded 
the  Elector  gayly.  "  Yes,  our  wedding  clothes  shall  be  or- 
dered in  Amsterdam,  and  doubtless  the  good  mynheers  will 
credit  us  until  the  Prussian  States  shall  condescend  to  gratify 
our  wishes  and  send  us  the  required  sums.  Ah!  it  is  indeed 
unfortunate  that  princes  can  not  in  such  matters  do  as  they 
would,  but  are  dependent  upon  the  inclinations  of  their  States. 
They  presume  to  be  my  treasurers  and  dictate  to  me  what  I 
shall  receive  and  spend.  And  I  can  do  nothing  but  submit. 
I  must  smilingly  conceal  my  chagrin,  and,  like  puss,  stroke 
where  I  can  not  scratch.  Well  then,  stroke  I  shall,  hoping 
thereby  to  gain  my  end.  But  meanwhile  it  will  be  a  difficult 
task  to  procure  the  money  for  the  needed  outlays,  for  I  am 
bent  upon  appearing  in  Amsterdam  at  the  head  of  a  glitter- 
ing retinue.  I  know  those  merchants  and  shopkeepers!  If 
I  were  to  appear  before  them  in  modest,  simple  garb,  they 
would  not  only  diminish  the  dowry  of  my  bride,  but  also  im- 
pose upon  me  harder  conditions  than  if  I  were  to  dazzle  them 
by  assuming  all  the  pomp  and  splendor  befitting  my  rank  and 
station.  Make  your  arrangements  accordingly,  Lord  Cham- 
berlain von  Burgsdorf.  We  are  to  be  escorted  by  a  retinue 
of  thirty  coaches  drawn  by  handsome  horses,  and  move  to  the 
sound  of  martial  music,  and  we  are  to  be  preceded  by  a  com- 
pany of  guardsmen  in  new  and  tasteful  uniforms.  As  to  the 
present  plight  of  my  bodyguard,  it  is  wretched  in  the  extreme. 
Not  one  has  a  coat  like  his  fellow.  One  wears  a  green  jacket, 
another  a  red,  the  third  a  yellow — in  short,  it  is  insufferable. 
I  shall  have  no  such  followers.  See  to  it,  old  friend! " 


94  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  The  soldiers'  equipments  will  be  the  hardest  things  of 
all  to  procure,"  sighed  Burgsdorf.  "  Coaches,  horses,  every- 
thing else  we  can  get  with  some  trouble.  But  uniforms  for 
the  bodyguard!  Could  your  highness  possibly  spare  the  three 
thousand  dollars  lent  you  by  your  mother?  " 

"  Certainly  not,  Burgsdorf.  That  is  to  defray  our  travel- 
ing expenses." 

"  It  is  a  bad  case  then,  and  I  know  not Your  high- 
ness," he  burst  forth  suddenly — "your  highness,  I  have  a 
thought." 

"  Well,  give  it  to  us,  lord  high  chamberlain." 

"  Your  grace  must  pardon  me  for  having  such  an  audacious 
thought;  but  necessity  knows  no  law,  and  sharpens  the  dull- 
est wits.  Gracious  sir,  that  was  a  rich  medallion  sent  you  by 
Cardinal  Mazarin.  How  many  diamonds  did  it  contain,  and 
how  highly  did  your  grace  value  them?  " 

"  I  think  there  were  four-and-twenty  diamonds,  and  I 
valued  them  at  at  least  twelve  thousand  ducats." 

"  And  your  grace  also  knew  a  Jew  of  Amsterdam  with 
whom  you  had  formerly  transacted  similar  business,  and  who 
would  assuredly  be  ready  to  pay  that  amount  for  the  dia- 
monds? " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  the  Jew  Abraham  on  the  Strand,  No.  14!  " 

"  Most  gracious  sir,  let  me  hurry  forward  in  advance;  be 
pleased  to  intrust  the  medallion  to  me,  and  you  shall  see  how 
excellent  a  bargain  I  can  drive!  " 

"  Well,  if  such  is  your  desire,  take  Cardinal  Mazarin's  me- 
dallion, and  see  what  you  can  do  with  it.  You  know  where 
I  put  it.  The  key  is  in  the  drawer,  so  that  you  have  nothing 
to  do  but  to  open  it  and  take  the  medallion." 

Without  speaking  a  word,  Burgsdorf  hurried  across  to  the 
writing  table,  opened  the  drawer  and  took  out  the  red  mo- 
rocco case,  on  which  were  stamped  in  gold  the  crown  and 
armorial  bearings  of  France. 

"  I  have  it,"  he  cried  triumphantly.  "  I  hold  your  com- 
pany of  guardsmen  in  my  own  hands  now,  and  they  shall 
parade  before  you,  gracious  sir,  in  costly  uniforms!  Only  per- 
mit me  to  set  out  to-morrow  for  Amsterdam,  and  pay  Abraham, 
the  Jew,  a  little  visit." 


NOTH  BRIGHT  EISEN,  NOTH  LEHRT  BETEtf.          95 

"  "Why  so?  Can  you  suppose  that  Abraham,  the  Jew,  is  a 
collector  of  curiosities,  who  will  pay  you  a  high  price  for 
Cardinal  Mazarin's  miniature  ?  " 

"  For  the  miniature?  Pshaw!  No  Jew  would  pay  me  even 
one  ducat  for  that.  But  the  diamonds,  your  highness — the 
four-and-twenty  exquisite  diamonds  which  accompanied  the 
portrait! " 

And  with  hands  trembling  for  eagerness  Burgsdorf  pressed 
the  little  clasp  that  closed  the  case,  and  lifted  up  the  lid.  But, 
upon  looking  into  the  opened  case,  an  exclamation  of  horror, 
almost  resembling  a  bitter  oath,  escaped  his  lips,  and  his 
eyes  were  raised  with  an  expression  of  stupid  amazement 
from  the  case  to  the  face  of  the  Elector,  who  regarded  him 
smilingly. 

"  Well,"  asked  the  Elector,  "  what  silences  you  all  at  once? 
Do  you  no  longer  like  the  medallion?  Have  you  counted  the 
jewels  and  found  them  in  place?  " 

"  Gracious  sir!  "  cried  Burgsdorf,  drawing  a  breath  of  re- 
lief, "  I  see  plainly  that  I  am  and  ever  will  be  a  stupid  old 
ass,  and  you  are  quicker  in  everything.  Quicker  in  thought, 
quicker  in  action.  The  idea  of  my  presuming  to  give  you 
advice,  and  thinking  to  parade  as  a  discovery  what  you  have 
long  since  known! " 

"  Yes,  the  afflictions  and  privations  of  my  childhood  and 
youth  early  gave  me  wisdom  in  such  matters.  Necessity  is 
mighty  for  the  pulling  down  of  the  strongholds  of  pride! 
What  can  be  more  humbling  at  first  to  a  high-minded  man 
than  the  idea  of  gaining  money  by  chaff erings  with  a  Jew? 
But  necessity  is  more  imperious  than  pride,  soon  teaching  us 
to  make  of  her  a  virtue.  For  the  rest,  I  had  no  sooner  laid 
eyes  upon  these  jewels,  than  visions  arose  before  me  of  the 
transformations  which  might  be  effected  by  a  proper  use  of 
them.  I  pointed  them  out  to  you,  too,  but  you  could  discover 
nothing  in  the  faces  of  the  sparkling  stones." 

"  Because  I  am  stupid  and  short-sighted,  your  highness. 
You  saw  at  once  the  reflection  of  a  whole  troop  of  splendidly 
caparisoned  soldiers  in  the  brilliant  stones.  Will  your  grace 
only  do  me  the  favor  to  let  me  know  if  you  saw  aright,  and 
if  the  diamonds  have  actually  changed  into  life-guardsmen?  " 


06  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

"  Yes,  my  trusty  old  friend,  they  have  done  so,  and  there 
is  no  necessity  for  your  preceding  me  in  order  to  pay  Abraham, 
the  Jew,  a  visit.  Ewald  von  Kleist  has  long  since  forestalled 
you,  and  acquainted  me  by  a  private  courier  with  the  result 
of  his  visit.  Tailors,  shoemakers,  and  clothiers  have  done 
their  duty,  and  the  little  company  of  life-guardsmen  is  ready. 
\Ve  can  therefore  soon  set  out  upon  our  journey,  and  the  sooner 
the  better,  for  I  long  to  have  an  end  put  to  this  state  of  sus- 
pense, and  to  know  with  whom  I  have  to  side,  with  Holland 
and  England,  with  Sweden  and  France,  with  the  Emperor 
of  Germany  or  with  Poland." 

"  Be  that  as  it  will!  "  cried  Burgsdorf.  "  You  will  ever 
be  true  to  yourself,  your  people,  and  your  States,  and  that  is 
the  principal  thing!  " 

"  You  are  right,  old  friend;  such  is  my  purpose,  and  I 
hope  by  and  by  to  become  a  considerable  and  mighty  Prince, 
who  shall  not  have  to  labor  to  form  alliances,  but  whose  alli- 
ance will  be  sought.  A  brilliant  future  can  not  be  purchased 
with  a  breath,  but  we  must  carefully  and  skillfully  dig  deep 
the  foundations  whereon  to  erect  the  lofty  edifice.  There- 
fore we  go  to  Holland  to  woo  our  bride.  Up  the  Rhine  to  Duis- 
burg  we  shall  go  with  glittering  train  and  noisy  splendor. 
But  there  you  shall  go  forward  in  advance  and  once  more 
sound  the  Princess,  and  more  especially  her  mother,  who  as 
yet  knows  nothing  of  the  affair.  If  you  bring  me  a  favorable 
report,  I  shall  proceed  myself  to  The  Hague.  The  rest  de- 
pends upon  my  little  cousin  Louisa  Henrietta.  I  will  not 
have  her  receive  from  me  her  first  lesson  in  the  pains  of  dis- 
appointed love,  and  if  she  loves  the  Prince  of  Wales  she  shall 
have  him.  Now,  old  man,  make  haste,  and  discharge  your 
office  of  lord  high  chamberlain  and  master  of  ceremonies.  Pre- 
pare all  things  for  the  bridal  trip,  and  God  grant  it  be  a  happy 
one! " 

"Yes,  God  grant  it!"  exclaimed  Burgsdorf.  "For  my 
part,  I  am  convinced  of  it,  and  deem  it  impossible  that  a  pru- 
dent and  pretty  Princess  should  prefer  Prince  Charles  Stuart 
to  the  young  Elector  of  Brandenburg." 

"  Incalculable  is  the  heart  of  woman,"  said  the  Elector. 
"  In  the  eyes  of  a  compassionate  young  girl,  Prince  Charles 


NOTH  BRIGHT  EISEN,  NOTH  LEHRT  BETEN.          97 

Stuart  is  invested  with  peculiar  charms,  for  he  is  unfortunate. 
I  have  just  received  secret  tidings  from  England,  and  truly 
shocking  they  were.  King  Charles  I,  who  was  last  year  de- 
feated by  Cromwell  and  Fairfax  in  a  final  and  decisive  battle, 
lias  at  last,  in  the  extremity  of  his  distress,  fled  to  Newark, 
to  the  camp  of  the  Scots.  They  have  not,  however,  received 
him  as  their  King,  but  made  him  prisoner  and  are  now  in  treaty 
with  General  Cromwell  and  the  English  Parliament  for  his 
delivery." 

"That  is  dreadful,  that  is  perfectly  abominable!"  ex- 
claimed Burgsdorf ,  with  horror.  "  A  nation  take  its  own  King 
prisoner,  and  revolt  against  him!  And  God  does  not  send  down 
fire  and  brimstone  to  consume  it!  " 

"  God's  ways  are  not  as  man's  ways.  It  is  his  will  some- 
times that  the  mighty  be  humbled,  and  the  proud  trodden 
in  the  dust.  King  Charles  was  very  mighty  and  perhaps,  too, 
very  proud.  Now  he  is  a  poor  prisoner,  and  a  peasant's  son 
is  a  powerful  general,  while  the  King's  son  has  taken  refuge 
at  The  Hague  as  a  fugitive  and  outlaw!  This  misfortune  it 
is  which  weaves  a  crown  of  glory  for  his  head,  and  renders 
him  lovable  in  the  eyes  of  the  Princess  of  Orange." 

"  But,  most  gracious  sir,  it  is  impossible  that  the  Princess 
loves  him.  She  is,  moreover,  older  than  the  Prince,  for  she 
is  now  twenty,  while  Charles  Stuart  is  barely  sixteen — a  mere 
boy." 

"  He  has  been  matured  in  the  school  of  adversity,  and,  be- 
sides, commenced  life  early,  for  they  say  he  has  already  had 
many  experiences  in  Paris.  Well,  we  shall  see.  Only  set  about 
your  preparations  for  our  journey  in  the  heartiest  manner  pos- 
sible, and  let  us  make  haste  to  reach  The  Hague." 

"  Most  gracious  sir,  in  eight  days  all  shall  be  ready  for  our 
departure,"  cried  Burgsdorf,  "and,  if  agreeable  to  you,  in 
from  three  to  four  weeks  we  can  be  at  The  Hague,  and  you 
can  receive  a  favorable  answer  from  the  Princess  herself." 

"  May  it  be  so,"  said  the  Elector  gravely.  "  Go  now,  old 
man,  begin  your  preparations,  and  report  to  me  every  morn- 
ing the  progress  you  have  made." 

Burgsdorf  pressed  to  his  lips  the  Elector's  proffered  hand, 
and  forsook  the  cabinet  to  enter  upon  his  work  with  stormy 


98  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

zeal,  and  set  in  motion  tailors  and  shoemakers,  saddlers  and 
workmen  of  every  craft. 

The  Elector  remained  alone  in  his  cabinet,  absorbed  in 
deepest  thought,  and  ever  darker  grew  his  countenance  and 
sadder  the  glance  of  his  eye. 

"  It  is  decided,"  he  murmured  softly  to  himself.  "  I  must 
subdue  my  heart,  I  must  chain  it  forever.  The  dreams  of  my 
youth  are  over,  and  its  oaths  have  melted  away  like  the  breath 
of  the  wind." 

Lightly  and  with  bowed  head  he  stepped  across  to  a  secret 
press  concealed  in  the  wooden  wainscoting  of  the  wall.  His 
father  had  had  this  press  constructed  by  foreign  workmen, 
when  Berlin  was  besieged  for  the  first  time  by  the  Swedes, 
for  the  purpose  of  affording  a  place  of  concealment  for  his 
valuables  and  important  papers.  On  his  deathbed  he  had  con- 
fided to  his  son  the  secret  of  this  press.  The  young  Elector 
had  found  in  this  receptacle  nothing  but  letters  and  family 
papers,  no  treasures  or  jewels  remaining.  Yet  he  himself 
had  one  jewel  concealed  in  this  sanctum — a  jewel  that  he  often 
looked  at,  and  upon  which  he  now  again  fixed  his  sad  and 
mournful  gaze  when  he  had  opened  the  press.  And  yet  this 
jewel  was  nothing  but  a  pretty  little  lady's  slipper,  of  blue 
satin  trimmed  with  silver  lace.  But  it  was  more  to  him.  To 
him  it  was  a  memento  of  the  sweet  and  bitter  past,  a  memento 
of  the  greatest  pain  of  his  life,  whose  wounds  yet  bled  and 
never  would  be  healed.'  Again  she  stood  before  him  in  her 
radiant  charms,  her  ravishing  beauty.  He  saw  her  look  upon 
him  with  beaming  eyes,  heard  her  sweet  voice  whispering  to 
him  vows  of  ardent  love.  And  then  he  saw  himself  at  her  feet 
as  he  plucked  this  little  shoe  from  her  foot  as  a  pledge  of  love, 
hid  it  upon  his  heart,  and  swore  that  it  should  ever  rest  there — 
that  he  would  not  exchange  this  precious  jewel  for  all  the 
treasures  of  earth,  that  it  should  be  laid  with  him  in  his  coffin. 
"  0  Ludovicka,  Ludovicka!  what  has  become  of  these  youth- 
ful vows?  Whither  wanders  the  light  and  fugitive  foot  which 
once  wore  this  shoe?  0  Ludovicka  Ilollandine!  why  did  you 
break  your  oath  and  trample  upon  love  with  the  little  foot 
to  which  this  shoe  belonged?  " 

With  quivering  lips  and  sorrowing  heart  he  thus  ques- 


NOTH   BRIGHT  EISEN,  NOTH  LEHRT  BETEN.          99 

tioned  the  little  blue  shoe,  the  jewel  of  memory,  of  buried 
love!  And  the  old  pain  revived  within  him,  and  love  again 
stepped  forth  from  her  grave.  But  he  will  not!  No,  he  will 
not  let  her  live  again!  He  has  no  right  to  play  the  love-sick 
swain,  and  to  pine  longingly  after  a  woman  who  has  betrayed 
and  forsaken  him!  He  is  a  Prince,  he  has  a  whole  nation  to 
love,  and  he  owes  it  to  his  people  to  give  himself  a  wife,  the 
throne  a  successor,  the  princely  house  a  family.  It  is  indeed 
decided  that  he  shall  be  married.  All  hesitation  as  to  choice 
is  over,  and  if  Princess  Louisa  Henrietta  of  Orange  will  accept 
his  hand,  he  is  ready  and  willing  to  form  with  her  an  indis- 
soluble bond. 

Yet  once  more  with  trembling,  timid  hand  he  draws  forth 
the  little  blue  satin  slipper  and  presses  it  to  his  lips,  holding 
it  so  for  a  long  time,  and  as  he  slowly  draws  it  away,  restoring 
it  to  its  place  in  the  press,  are  those  diamonds  or  dewdrops 
sparkling  upon  it?  But  the  Elector  will  conquer  his  heart 
— he  will  be  a  strong  man,  a  valient  Prince.  With  a  quick, 
vigorous  jerk  he  closes  the  panels  of  the  wainscoting,  and  in- 
dignantly shakes  his  head,  as  if  angry  with  himself. 

"  It  is  all  over,"  he  says  aloud  to  himself;  "  the  past  has 
departed,  its  memories  are  withered.  Farewell,  Ludovicka 
Hollandine!  Welcome,  Louisa  Henrietta!  I  can  not  give  you 
a  sound,  whole  heart,  but  I  shall  offer  you  the  reverence,  de- 
votion, and  love  of  an  honest  man.  Marriages,  they  say,  are 
made  in  heaven.  But  the  marriages  of  princes  from  an  excep- 
tion, for  they  are  concluded  in  the  cabinet  of  policy  and  at  the 
green  table  of  diplomacy.  Hail,  Princess  of  Orange!  hail,  my 
future  wife!  I  go  to  you,  and  in  your  hands  lies  my  future! 
No,"  he  continued  after  a  long  pause,  and  his  large,  blue  eyes 
were  slowly  raised  to  heaven — "  no,  not  in  a  woman's  hand! 
In  thy  hand,  0  Lord  my  God,  lies  my  future.  Decide  for  me 
and  for  her,  and  give  me  whatever  is  best  for  me.  I  am  going 
to  The  Hague  to  seek  a  wife  for  the  Elector,  a  partner  for  his 
throne.  Necessity  breaks  the  strongest  will,  but  necessity  also 
teaches  us  to  pray.  And  thus  in  my  heart's  hour  of  greatest 
need  I  pray  to  thee,  0  God:  give  me  what  is  for  my  good.  I 
seek  a  heart.  Let  me  find  it,  if  such  is  thy  good  pleasure." 


BOOK  in 

I. — THE  HAGUE. 

IT  was  morning.  A  fresh,  beautiful,  and  yet  warm  October 
morning,  with  clear,  blue  sky,  and  that  air  of  soothing,  calm 
repose  which  rests  like  the  eternal  peace  of  God  upon  the 
autumn  landscape.  With  involuntary  satisfaction  we  feel 
that  we  may  trust  the  promise  of  such  a  morning,  and  be  cer- 
tain that  a  bright,  fair  day  will  follow,  to  end  in  a  gorgeous, 
golden  sunset  and  crimson  evening  sky.  No  more  are  to  be 
dreaded  the  sudden,  unexpected  storms  of  summer — those 
tempests  which  all  at  once  obscure  the  brightest  sky,  extin- 
guishing sunlight  and  veiling  in  blackest  night  the  fairest  day, 
and  as  suddenly  darkening  the  smiling  face  of  prosperity  by 
the  lowering  clouds  of  passion.  All  is  rest.  No  more  glow- 
ing heat,  no  more  crash  of  storm,  but  still  all  that  vigor  and 
bouyancy  of  life,  so  instinct  with  enjoyment,  that  warmth 
of  existence  so  pleasurable  in  itself,  and  which  as  yet  breathes 
naught  of  the  chilling  frost  of  winter  nor  the  numbness  in- 
cident to  snow  and  ice. 

Warmth,  sunshine,  and  life  pervaded  that  cheerful  morning 
landscape.  The  mist,  which  in  the  morning  twilight  had  lain 
like  a  mantle  over  the  broad  expanse  of  meadow  flat,  had  scat- 
tered before  the  splendor  of  the  sun,  and  now  in  white,  trans- 
parent garb  floated  spiritlike  above  the  plain,  then  mounted 
higher,  and  was  lost  at  the  horizon.  The  forest,  which  bounded 
the  horizon  beyond  the  broad,  green,  flower-besprinkled  plain, 
was  glorious  in  the  many-tinted  hues  of  her  autumn  dress, 
which, preparatory  to  approaching  decay, assumed  all  the  pomp 
and  glow  of  the  fullest,  most  succulent  life.  Beyond,  opposite 
the  forest,  on  the  other  side  of  this  extensive  plain,  which, 

100 


THE  HAGUE.  101 

flowery  and  green,  stretched  far  away,  and  was  only  diversi- 
fied here  and  there  by  an  aspiring  windmill,  with  its  four 
wings,  fabulous  and  far  outspread — beyond  was  visible  a  huge 
and  stately  pile  of  buildings,  situated  near  a  park.  This  park 
was  the  great  park  of  the  Prince  of  Orange,  and  this  edifice, 
the  so-called  court  of  the  Stadtholder,  in  which  resided  the 
Prince  of  Orange  with  his  family,  and  where  had  always  re- 
sided the  Stadtholder  of  Holland.  This  mansion  could  not 
properly  be  called  a  palace,  for  it  was  the  result  of  no  unity 
of  design,  no  singleness  of  plan,  but  a  gradually  increased 
assemblage  of  individual  houses,  an  odd  conglomeration  of 
mean  and  lofty  buildings,  of  pavilions  with  bow  windows  and 
niches,  of  small,  tasteless  houses  and  high,  towering  pinnacles, 
in  close  proximity  to  which  was  again  met  a  building  in  the 
modern  style — a  modest  private  dwelling.  This  whole  jumble 
of  architecture,  which  was  called  "  The  Stadtholder' s  Court," 
had  grown  on  in  the  course  of  the  century,  proportionately 
with  the  increasing  and  ascendant  power  of  rich,  mighty  Hol- 
land and  her  princely  Stadtholder,  and  in  these  spires  and 
niches,  these  towers  and  dwelling  houses,  which  now  formed 
a  whole,  might  be  read  the  history  of  the  rising  power  and 
greatness  of  Holland  and  the  house  of  Orange.  These  build- 
ings formed  in  themselves,  as  it  were,  a  little  town  and  had 
been  divided  into  two  halves — the  outer  and  the  inner  court, 
or,  if  you  will,  into  the  elegant  suburb  and  the  busy  little  city. 

In  the  outer  court,  with  its  taller,  statelier,  and  more 
modern  edifices,  were  the  private  apartments  of  the  audience 
hall,  and  chambers  of  State,  the  reception  rooms,  the  ball- 
rooms, and  guest  chambers  of  the  Stadtholder  and  his  wife, 
the  apartments  of  the  princes  and  princesses.  In  the  inner 
court  were  the  halls  of  justice,  the  officers  of  the  lesser  cour- 
tiers, down  to  the  lackeys,  the  grooms,  and  milkmaids.  Beside 
the  inner  court,  but  removed  from  it  a  few  hundred  paces, 
were  to  be  also  found  the  farm  buildings,  the  stables  for  horses 
and  cows,  and  the  barns  in  which  was  stored  a  stock  of  winter 
fodder.  A  whole  world  in  miniature  was  reflected  in  this  court 
of  the  Stadtholder.  Here  could  be  observed  at  once  the 
household  arrangements  of  a  rich,  mighty  Prince,  and  the 
quiet  everyday  life  of  the  farm  and  country  house. 


102  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

This  morning  perfect  silence  reigned  throughout  the  outer 
court.  Everywhere  as  yet  the  curtains  hung  drawn  before 
the  windows.  The  spacious  gates  were  yet  unopened,  the 
lackeys  in  their  gold-laced  liveries  had  not  yet  appeared  be- 
neath the  portals,  and  only  in  yon  tiny  cottage  standing  close 
beside  the  castle  was  to  be  descried  the  gigantic  form  of  the 
porter,  with  a  broad  shoulder  belt  drawn  diagonally  across 
his  massive  frame,  and  a  jaunty  three-cornered  hat  crowning 
a  head  well  graced  by  short  and  waving  curls.  But  his  counte- 
nance was  impassive  and  void  of  all  expression,  and  the  great 
golden  staff  which  he  always  bore  in  his  hand  by  day  still  stood 
idle  in  a  corner  of  the  lodge;  as  yet  there  was  nothing  to  regu- 
late or  present,  for  at  this  hour  no  high-born  visitor  drew  near 
the  grand  pavilion  in  which  dwelt  the  Stadtholder.  In  the 
inner  court,  on  the  contrary,  reigned  the  most  bustling  and 
most  active  life.  The  doors  of  the  stables  were  wide  open, 
and  the  maids  in  their  pretty,  ample  skirts  of  bright-red  woolen 
stuff,  and  white  hoods  with  golden  ornaments  over  hair  hang- 
ing down  in  long  plaited  braids,  moved  busily  to  and  fro  in  the 
inner  compartments  of  the  stables,  then  took  down  the  low, 
white  wooden  stools,  and  the  white  buckets  bound  with  hoops 
of  brass,  in  order  to  begin  milking  the  cows,  the  most  impor- 
tant business  of  the  morning. 

Separate  from  the  other  stables  lay  a  larger  building,  that, 
as  might  meanwhile  be  seen,  was  distined  for  the  same  use 
as  the  rest  of  the  stables.  The  great  double  wings  of  the  mid- 
dle door  were  wide  open,  and  through  these  the  interior  might 
be  seen.  On  both  sides  of  the  room,  before  pretty  and  highly- 
polished  cribs,  stood  six  cows  of  the  high-blooded  Swiss  breed. 
Their  reddish-brown  hides  were  so  glossy  and  sleek  that  it 
was  plain  to  be  seen  what  great  attention  was  lavished  upon 
the  proud  creatures.  The  floor  was  laid  out  in  great  red  flag- 
stones, and,  moreover,  in  the  stall  of  each  of  the  twelve  was 
strewn  fresh  straw.  The  scent  of  hay  heaped  high  within 
the  mangers  perfumed  the  place,  and  the  cows  ate  of  it  with 
loud,  rustling  noise,  while  the  maids  sat  at  their  sides  and 
milked  them.  This  noise,  occasioned  by  the  chewing  of  the 
animals  ruminating,  and  the  milk  spurting  into  the  buckets, 
alone  interrupted  for  a  long  while  the  peaceful  silence  pre- 


THE  HAGUE.  103 

vailing  here.  All  at  once  it  was  interrupted  by  the  rustling 
of  approaching  footsteps.  A  slender  female  form,  clad  in  the 
simple  costume  of  women  of  the  middle  class  in  Holland,  en- 
tered the  stable,  and  went  with  light,  rapid  step  through  the 
middle  room.  A  closely  plaited  blue  skirt  of  fine  woolen  stuff, 
reaching  down  to  the  ankles,  inclosed  a  figure  at  once  elegant 
and  vigorous.  Below  peeped  out  the  little  feet,  clad  in  high 
black  boots  with  shining  buckles,  and  cotton  stockings  daz- 
zlingly  white.  A  bodice  of  black  velvet  with  wide  white 
mousselaine  sleeves  enveloped  the  full  and  noble  bust.  Above 
the  white  and  slender  throat  beamed  a  countenance  full  of 
the  sweetest,  loveliest  maiden  charms,  and  a  head  encircled 
by  a  profusion  of  fair  ringlets,  with  rosy  cheeks  and  brown 
eyes  of  wonderful  fire  and  brilliancy;  while  around  the 
slightly  pouting  lips  played  an  expression  of  girlish  tender- 
ness. 

As  she  stepped  forward  with  gently  oscillating  gait,  the 
cows  stopped  eating,  turned  their  heads,  and  looked  after  her, 
as  if  they  wondered  that  she  had  not  to-day  bestowed  upon 
them  her  accustomed  morning  greeting,  and  stroked  their 
glossy  hides  with  her  soft,  white  hand. 

But  the  fair  young  girl  was  not  thinking  of  her  favorite 
to-day,  although  she  paused  before  the  stall  of  each  individual 
cow.  She  was  only  observing,  however,  the  small  black  tablets 
which  were  stuck  up  over  the  crib  in  every  partition,  and  on 
which  were  inscribed  different  numbers  in  white  chalk.  These 
numbers  the  young  girl  wrote  in  the  blue  notebook  which  she 
held  in  her  hand,  carefully  comparing  them  with  the  numbers 
which  she  had  yesterday  entered  in  the  same  book.  These 
numbers  told  her  what  quantity  of  milk  each  cow  had  given 
on  the  preceding  day,  and  thus,  by  comparing  the  entries  to- 
gether, the  condition  and  well-being  of  each  cow  could  be 
easily  ascertained. 

"  Trade,"  said  the  youthful  maiden,  with  sweet  sonorous 
voice,  while  she  remained  standing  before  the  stall  of  the 
finest  cow — "  Trude,  something  must  be  the  matter  with  the 
cow.  Yesterday  she  gave  less  milk  than  usual  by  three 
quarts." 

The  maid  did  not  reply  immediately,  but  bent  her  head 


104  THE  GREAT  ELECTOIt  IN  POWER. 

lower  over  the  milkpail,  and  in  milking  moved  her  diligent 
fingers  yet  more  quickly  than  before. 

"  Did  you  not  hear,  'Prude?  "  asked  the  young  lady  gently. 
"  I  am  surprised  that  big  Betty  gave  less  milk  yesterday  than 
on  the  days  before." 

Still  the  maid  did  not  look  up  from  her  work,  but  a  deep 
flush  flitted  across  her  face.  "  I  know  not  why,  your  grace," 
she  said  in  her  Dutch  dialect.  "  I  have  tended  and  fed  her, 
and  it  is  certainly  not  my  fault  if  Betty  gives  less  milk." 

"  I  hope  that  it  is  not  your  fault,"  returned  the  young 
lady  softly.  "  But  I  wonder  why  just  your  cows  give  less  milk 
than  usual.  The  other  cows  which  you  have  to  attend  gave 
less  milk  yesterday." 

"  Some  evil  eye  must  have  been  cast  upon  me,"  cried  the 
maid,  in  confusion.  "  Witchcraft  surely  is  at  work  against 
me,  some  one  has  bewitched  my  cows,  and  therefore  they  fall 
off  in  their  milk." 

"  Maybe,"  said  the  lady.  "  But  do  you  know,  Trude,  the 
safeguard  against  such  enchantments?  Prayer  and  a  good, 
pious  disposition.  You  were  not  at  morning  service  last  Sun- 
day. I  remarked  it  and  felt  grieved.  As  we  commence  a  new 
week  on  Sunday,  so  we  should  begin  it  with  God,  and  entreat 
him  to  strengthen  us  to  think  good  thoughts  and  to  over- 
come evil  ones.  Forget  not,  Trude,  to  pray  to  God  every  morn- 
ing and  every  evening,  and  come  to  church  regularly.  You 
shall  see  that  then  no  wicked  magic  can  work  its  spell  upon 
you,  and  that  your  cows  will  again  give  as  much  milk  as  ever." 

She  nodded  to  the  maid  and  went  farther,  not  seeing  how 
Trude  looked  after  her  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  and  softly  mur- 
mured to  herself:  "  Yes,  I  will  pray.  I  will  be  good  again.  0 
Lord!  forgive  my  sins!  I  am  bad,  but  I  will  be  better,  that  I 
may  look  up  at  her  again,  for  to-day  I  could  not.  I  felt  as  if 
my  heart  would  burst.  I  will  tell  her — will  confess  every- 
thing to  her! " 

She  arose  swiftly  from  her  stool  and  set  down  her  pail,  in 
order  to  overtake  the  lady.  She  saw,  however,  that  she  was 
already  just  at  the  other  end  of  the  passage,  on  the  point  of 
stepping  out  into  the  yard  again,  and  was  turning  aside. 

"  It  is  too  late! "  sighed  Trude,  again  sinking  upon  her 


THE  HAGUE.  105 

stool — "  she  is  already  outside,  and  the  stewardess  is  with 
her." 

The  stewardess,  principal  inspector  of  the  cow  stable  and 
the  butter  establishment,  was  indeed  with  the  young  lady, 
who  had  just  entered  the  yard. 

"  I  hope  your  grace  is  satisfied,"  she  asked,  "  and  finds 
nothing  amiss?  That  the  cow  stable  is  in  order,  and  that 
our  gracious  Princess  has  found  the  weekly  account  cor- 
rect? " 

The  Princess  gave  her  a  long,  sad  glance,  and  when  the 
stewardess  met  this  inspection  with  bold,  laughing  eyes,  the 
Princess  sighed. 

"  Stewardess,"  she  said,  "  come  with  me  into  the  milk- 
house.  I  must  speak  with  you." 

She  turned  around  and  entered  the  small  house  next  to  the 
stable.  The  stewardess  followed  her  with  a  somewhat  dis- 
turbed, embarrassed  air,  and  remained  standing  near  the  door 
in  humble  silence.  But  the  Princess  crossed  the  little  apart- 
ment, and  looked  through  the  door  leading  to  the  great  milk 
chamber  within.  Then,  when  she  saw  that  already  a  few  milk- 
maids had  come  in  to  pour  the  fresh  milk  into  the  great  stone 
pans,  she  drew  the  door  to,  herself,  and  gently  slipped  the 
bolt.  She  crossed  directly  to  where  the  stewardess  stood,  and 
again  fixed  her  large  brown  eyes  upon  her  with  a  long,  sad 
glance. 

"  Stewardess,"  she  said,  "  it  pains  me  to  be  obliged  to  tell 
you  that  I  this  day  dismiss  you  from  my  service,  and  that 
you  must  go  away  from  here." 

"  Dismiss  me  ?  "  cried  the  stewardess.  "  What  have  I  done 
to  excite  your  grace  to  anger?  " 

"  I  am  not  angry,  I  am  sorry,"  said  the  Princess  softly. 
"  Sorry,  because  it  grieves  me  to  be  hard  upon  your  two  little 
children,  who  will  now  be  shelterless." 

"  My  God!  what  have  I  done  then?  "  wailed  the  stewardess, 
yet  louder  than  before.  "  Some  one  has  surely  slandered  me 
to  your  grace,  and  accused  me  unjustly." 

"  Stewardess,  no  one  has  accused  you,  and  I  never  listen 
to  slander,  but  prove  and  observe  myself.  You  are  a  deceiver, 
it  grieves  me  to  have  to  say  so,  but  it  is  the  truth." 


106  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  Your  grace  is  very  hard!  "  shrieked  the  woman.  "  Your 
grace  has " 

"  Silence,  speak  not  so  loud! "  commanded  the  Princess, 
"  pr  will  you  have  the  maids  to  be  witnesses  of  your  disgrace, 
and  all  the  world  to  know  why  I  have  dismissed  you?  " 

"  Your  grace  dismisses  me,"  said  the  stewardess,  with  stifled 
voice.  "  Your  grace  calls  me  a  deceiver,  and  yet  I  know  not 
wherefore." 

"  You  shall  learn  why,"  said  the  Princess,  approaching 
the  little  table  which  stood  at  the  window.  On  this  lay 
open  a  great  account  book,  with  pen  and  inkstand  close  at 
hand. 

"  You  have  been  in  my  service  as  stewardess  for  seven 
months,"  continued  the  Princess.  "  The  first  three  months 
you  conducted  yourself  well,  and  all  your  accounts  agreed. 
Afterward  you  believed  that  you  had  inspired  me  with  con- 
fidence, and  began  each  week  to  lessen  somewhat  the  amount 
of  milk  in  your  statement  of  receipts.  The  first  weeks  the 
discrepancy  was  slight,  only  amounting  to  a  few  quarts;  but 
then,  as  I  said  nothing,  believing  that  I  did  not  supervise 
your  reckonings,  you  grew  bolder.  During  the  last  month 
you  have,  according  to  calculation,  purloined  almost  a  third 
part  of  the  milk.  If  your  purpose  is  to  dispute  it,  then  I  shall 
immediately  summon  my  majordomo,  and  he  must  revise  the 
accounts,  but  then  I  can  no  longer  shield  you  from  judicial 
punishment." 

"  It  is  terrible,  on  account  of  such  a  trifle,  to  turn  off  a 
poor  widow  who  has  two  children  to  support! "  shrieked  the 
stewardess.  "A  rich,  exalted  Princess  can  not  think  hard 
of  it  if  her  poor  stewardess  has  kept  back  weekly  a  couple  of 
quarts  of  milk  for  her  little  children.  Your  grace  will  not 
for  such  cause  dismiss  me  from  your  service." 

"  You  have  not  kept  back  a  couple  of  quarts,  but  every 
week  more  than  fifty  quarts.  However,  were  it  still  less,  the 
justice  of  the  matter  would  remain  quite  the  same.  You 
have  cheated,  you  have  falsified  the  accounts  and  books,  and 
that  is  a  crime.  But  a  worse  crime  than  that  have  you  com- 
mitted. You  have  led  astray  a  good,  innocent  girl,  and  brought 
her  to  cheating.  You  thought  that  some  day  the  false  ac- 


THE  HAGUE.  107 

counts  might  betray  you,  and  therefore  it  would  be  better 
if  you  could  induce  the  maids  to  diminish  on  the  tablets  the 
amount  of  milk,  for  then  it  would  be  no  longer  necessary  to 
falsify  the  calculations.  With  Trude,  alas!  you  succeeded, 
and  you  have  corrupted  the  poor  girl.  Yesterday  Trude  made 
her  entry  of  milk  too  small." 

"  It  is  frightful,  your  grace,"  whimpered  the  stewardess. 

"  Yes,  it  is  frightful,"  repeated  the  Princess;  "  for  until 
now  Trude  was  such  a  modest,  good  girl.  You  have  led  her 
astray,  but  I  hope  Trude  may  yet  be  saved,  and  if  she  repents 
of  her  fault,  will  then  improve.  But  you  must  be  gone,  else 
you  might  succeed  in  contaminating  the  other  maids,  and 
inducing  them  to  cheat." 

"Your  grace  will  not  be  so  hard-hearted,"  implored  the 
stewardess.  "  Your  grace  will  have  compassion  upon  me  and 
my  children.  I,  too,  promise  to  alter  and  amend.  Only, 
your  grace,  do  not  turn  me  away,  and  I  will  surely,  surely  im- 
prove." 

"No,  you  will  not  improve,"  said  the  Princess,  slowly 
shaking^her  head.  "  You  are  already,  as  I  must  sorrowfully 
acknowledge,  too  deeply  dyed  in  sin,  and  even  now  there  is 
no  repentance  in  you,  but  only  vexation  that  I  have  discovered 
your  fraud.  If  you  had  been  in  need,  if  your  children  had 
been  suffering  from  hunger,  then  perhaps  we  might  have  found 
an  excuse  for  your  dishonesty.  But  with  me  you  had  a  suffi- 
cient competency,  and  ample  provision  for  your  children. 
You  have  therefore  cheated  from  avarice  and  a  wicked  love 
of  cheating.  You  have  become  the  corrupter  of  my  servants, 
and  that  is  a  crime  for  which  no  indulgence  is  to  be  found. 
It  only  remains,  therefore,  that  this  very  day  you  leave  my 
service  and  this  place." 

"  I  can  not  survive  the  disgrace,"  lamented  the  stewardess. 
"  If  your  grace  drives  me  away,  I  shall  drown  myself!  " 

"  No,  you  will  not,  for  you  will  fear  the  punishment  of 
God,"  said  the  Princess,  solemnly.  "  I,  too,  on  account  of 
your  children,  would  not  have  your  shame  made  public.  You 
may  say  that  you  have  received  intelligence  that  your  old 
mother  in  Dortrecht  has  fallen  ill,  and  that  you  must  immedi- 
ately go  to  her.  Then  you  can  go  away  and  look  for  service 


108  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

elsewhere.  Meanwhile  your  two  little  girls  may  remain  here 
under  the  care  of  my  majordomo.  I  myself  will  see  that  they 
want  for  nothing,  and,  to  relieve  you  entirely  of  anxiety  for 
the  present,  I  will  advance  you  wages  for  the  next  three 
months.  Come  here.  Here,  stewardess,  is  the  last  money  you 
shall  receive  from  me,  and  may  God  be  merciful  to  you  and 
incline  your  heart  to  what  is  good." 

"  Most  gracious  Princess,"  entreated  the  stewardess,  "  at 
least  yermit  me  to  kiss  your  hand  for  the  last  time;  tell  me 
that  you  forgive  me." 

And  she  threw  herself  upon  her  knees,  and  sought,  sobbing 
and  moaning,  to  seize  the  Princess's  hand,  who,  however, 
avoided  her.  For  the  first  time  her  countenance  assumed  a 
stern,  indignant  expression. 

"  Stand  up! "  she  said,  in  a  tone  of  command,  "act  not 
humility  thus,  for  it  is  but  acting.  Your  spirit  is  obdurate 
and  hardened,  for  you  have  not  even  compassion  upon  your 
own  children.  Not  one  tear  has  moistened  your  eyes.  Fare- 
well, and  may  God  have  pity  upon  you.  Not  another  word. 
Go,  leave  me.  Tell  them  without  that  I  have  permitted  you 
to  go  to  your  sick  mother." 

The  stewardess  felt,  indeed,  that  all  further  entreaties 
would  be  vain,  for  she  spoke  not  a  word  more,  but,  groaning 
and  with  head  sunk  upon  her  breast,  she  stole  through  the 
chamber  to  the  milk  room.  But  when  once  outside  she  was 
heard  to  give  vent  to  shrieks  and  lamentations,  and  to  tell 
the  maids  of  her  dying  mother,  and  the  good  Princess  Louisa, 
who  had  given  her  permission  to  journey  forthwith  to  her 
mother,  and  to  leave  her  children  in  charge  of  the  majordomo 
until  her  return  home.  The  Princess  listened  to  the  woman's 
loud  shrieks  and  the  sympathizing  words  of  the  maids.  Then 
she  raised  her  countenance  to  heaven  and  a  tear  glittered  in 
her  beautiful  eyes.  "  If  I  have  been  hard,  0  God!  "  she  mur- 
mured, "  then  in  thy  mercy  forgive.  My  intention  was  good, 
for  I  thought  that  I  could  not  do  otherwise,  on  acount  of  the 
bad  example.  Lead  back  the  sinner  to  the  right  path,  and 
have  compassion  on  us  all!  " 

Without  the  loud  screaming  of  the  stewardess  was  hushed, 
and  now  nothing  was  to  be  heard  but  the  brisk  chit-chat  of 


THE  HAGUE.  109 

the  maids,  who  were  expressing  their  compassion  for  the 
stewardess. 

The  Princess  again  approached  the  table,  took  up  the 
great  book,  thrust  it  into  the  strong  box  attached  to  the  table, 
and  locked  it.  The  tray,  however,  containing  the  money  she 
kept,  carrying  it  on  her  left  arm,  but  at  the  same  time  cover- 
ing it  with  a  handkerchief,  to  conceal  its  glittering  contents. 
Just  as  she  drew  near  the  outer  door  to  go  out  she  heard  a 
mournful  voice  crying:  "Where  is  the  Princess?  I  must 
and  shall  speak  with  the  Princess! " 

"  It  is  Trade,"  said  the  Princess.  "  I  meant  to  have  sum- 
moned her  to  me,  but  it  is  better  to  have  the  affair  settled 
directly." 

She  crossed  the  chamber  with  hasty  steps,  and  opened 
the  door  communicating  with  the  milk  chamber.  "  Trade," 
she  called  out,  "come  in  here,  I  have  something  to  say  to 
you." 

The  poor  girl  rushed  in.  Her  face  was  pale,  her  whole 
frame  shook,  and  tears  streamed  down  her  cheeks.  Close  to 
the  door  she  fell  upon  her  knees,  and  extended  her  outstretched 
arms  toward  the  Princess. 

"  Most  gracious  Princess,"  she  sobbed,  "  I  am  a  sinner, 
a  great  sinner.  I  must  acknowledge  it,  for  my  heart  is  break- 
ing with  shame  and  repentance.  I " 

"  Silence!  "  interrupted  the  Princess.  "  Weep  not  so  loud, 
Trade,  or  the  maids  will  hear  you.  You  need  acknowledge 
nothing,  for  I  know  everything  already.  You  were  quite  right 
just  now.  Your  cows  were  under  the  influence  of  an  evil  eye. 
But  I  hope  that  I  have  broken  the  spell  of  the  enchantment, 
and  that  to-day  your  cows  will  again  give  as  much  milk  as 
ever  before.  Now  only  pray  devoutly,  and  be  good  and  true, 
and  then  will  no  evil  eye  have  any  more  power  over  you  and 
your  cattle,  and  your  cows  will  once  more  be  the  stateliest 
in  the  whole  stable,  and  give,  besides,  the  best  and  richest 
milk,  and  the  entries  upon  your  tablet  note  the  greatest  num- 
ber of  quarts." 

"  Most  gracious  Princess,  I  must  own  my  fault,  I  must 
confess,"  sobbed  the  maid. 

"  Confess  to  God  and  your  own  conscience,"  said  the  Prin- 


HO  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

cess  softly.  "  But  to  me  you  shall  not  confess,  for  I  wish  to 
know  nothing,  but  that  you  are  a  good  girl,  and  that  you  will 
never  again  allow  yourself  to  be  misled  by  wicked  advisers 
into  an  evil  course.  Be  good  and  honest,  Trude,  that  your 
parents  in  heaven  may  rejoice  over  you.  Always  think  of  that, 
yet  weep  not  and  be  cheerful,  for  your  sin  is  pardoned." 

She  nodded  kindly  to  the  still  kneeling  girl,  took  up  again 
the  money  tray  which  she  had  placed  upon  the  table,  and  left 
the  apartment. 

With  quick,  hurried  step  she  crossed  the  dairy  farmyard 
and  entered  the  little  building  adjoining.  She  hastened  up 
the  wooden  steps  leading  into  the  interior,  down  a  long  pas- 
sage, again  over  steps  and  through  passages,  until  she  reached 
the  great  corridor  conducting  to  her  own  apartment. 

Just  as  she  was  upon  the  point  of  opening  the  door  to  the 
antechamber,  another  door  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  cor- 
ridor suddenly  opened,  whence  issued  a  slender  young  man, 
with  laughing  countenance. 

"  Good-morning,  Cousin  Louisa!  "  he  cried.  "  You  see 
how  well  I  have  kept  my  word!  I  have  been  favored  with  a 
glimpse  of  the  most  beautiful  of  princesses  and  the  fairest  of 
milkmaids,  despite  your  prohibition." 

The  Princess  only  replied  with  a  stern,  angry  glance, 
then  hastily  opened  the  door  of  the  antechamber.  When  she 
had  entered,  it  was  to  draw  the  bolt  across  the  door  from 
the  inside. 

"She  is  willful  and  capricious, indeed," muttered  the  young 
man.  "  She  is  offended  at  my  having  surprised  her.  Well, 
I  shall  make  most  humble  apologies  and  besiege  her  until  she 
again  forgives  me,  and  bestows  upon  me  one  of  her  sweet 
smiles.  She  is  an  angel,  and  I  adore  her,  and  she  must  love 
me,  and — and  she  will  love  me,  or  I  hope  she  loves  me  already. 
If  Mary  would  but  come,  I  might  attend  her  in  calling  upon 
the  Princess.  Hark!  I  hear  the  sound  of  carriage  wheels  in 
the  court.  That  is  she." 


A  PAIR  OP  WEDDED   LOVERS. 


II. — A  PAIR  OF  WEDDED  LOVERS. 

WITHOUT  delay  the  Princess  proceeded  to  her  own  private 
apartment,  and  had  carried  the  tray  of  money  to  her  cabinet, 
escritoire,  whose  middle  door  she  opened  with  one  of  the  keys 
on  her  bunch.  Then  she  hastily  drew  from  its  inner  recesses 
a  capacious  casket,  and  shook  into  it  the  contents  of  the  tray. 

"  The  last  week's  receipts  for  this  month,"  she  said  thought- 
fully. "  I  shall  at  once  calculate  the  amount."  She  took 
from  the  casket  a  small  portfolio,  and  with  the  pencil  attached 
to  it  by  a  golden  chain,  marked  down  in  it  a  few  figures. 

Then  she  allowed  herself  slowly  to  sink  into  a  seat,  and 
began  in  a  half  audible  voice  to  add  together  the  separate  sums. 
In  doing  so,  her  lovely  face  had  assumed  a  serious,  thoughtful 
expression,  and  if  an  observer  had  thus  seen  the  young  Prin- 
cess, account  book  in  hand,  beside  the  open  casket  heaped 
with  money,  quite  absorbed  in  ciphering,  he  would  have  sup- 
posed that  in  this  lovely  maiden's  form  dwelt  the  spirit  of 
a  merchant  and  miser,  whose  sole  aim  in  life  was  the  accumula- 
tion of  treasure. 

"  The  sum  total,  twenty  thousand  florins,"  murmured  the 
Princess,  as  she  closed  the  book.  "  To  that  add  seven  thou- 
sand florins — the  savings  of  two  years'  economy  in  the  matter 
of  toilet  expenses.  Altogether,  therefore,  I  have  a  fund  of 
twenty-seven  thousand  florins.  I  can  go  to  work  now.  I 
shall  now  purchase  a  little  piece  of  land,  and  found  there  an 
establishment  for  the  education  of  young  housekeepers.  I 
shall  have  a  sphere  for  activity,  I  shall  have  work,  and  for  me 
that  is  the  best  medicine." 

"  Medicine!  Can  you  need  medicine?  "  asked  a  voice  be- 
hind her;  and  as  the  Princess  turned  around  startled  she  saw 
standing  in  the  doorway  at  her  back  a  youthful  lady,  who  was 
regarding  her  with  pleasant,  smiling  countenance. 

"  Mary! "  said  the  Princess,  drawing  a  deep  breath,  "  oh, 
how  you  frightened  me!  How  came  you  in  so  unexpectedly?  " 

"Unexpectedly?  You  have  forgotten,  then,  that  I  an- 
nounced to  you  yesterday  my  intention  of  paying  you  a  morn- 
ing visit?  You  have  so  far  forgotten  it,  my  fair  sister-in-law, 


112  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

that  even  the  door  of  your  antechamber  was  locked.  Fortu- 
nately I  was  acquainted  with  the  other  way  of  access — through 
the  chamber  of  your  waiting  woman,  and  across  the  little  cor- 
ridor. Through  this  way  have  I  come.  To  be  true,  old 
Ursula,  your  stern  doorkeeper  and  Cerberus,  endeavored  to 
detain  me,  and  insisted  upon  announcing  me.  But  I  told  her 
that  you  were  expecting  me,  and  had  yourself  pointed  out  to 
me  this  mode  of  entrance,  and  so  the  Cerberus  had  to  yield 
and  let  me  pass.  Only  think,  though,  fair  cousin,  she  would 
by  no  means  accord  the  same  privilege  to  my  brother  Charles, 
and  all  entreaties,  flattery,  scolding,  and  even  threats,  were 
in  vain.  She  maintained  throughout  that  no  man,  whoever 
he  might  be,  should  enter  her  Princess's  apartments  by  any 
indirect  way;  but  that  only  through  the  principal  door  and 
great  antechamber  were  gentlemen  permitted  to  approach. 
I  beg  of  you,  Louisa,  to  administer  a  reproof  to  that  same 
whimsical  old  person  on  this  occasion,  and  to  tell  her  that  she 
must  make  some  exceptions,  and  that  the  Prince  of  Wales  is 
worthy  of  her  respect  and  obedience." 

"  Respect,  certainly,"  returned  the  Princess  Louisa  gen- 
tly, "  but  obedience,  no,  dear  Mary.  Obedience  she  owes  only 
to  me  and  to  no  one  else.  If  she  had  this  time  obeyed  your 
brother  and  admitted  him,  I  should  have  felt  compelled  to 
dismiss  her  from  my  service  on  the  spot,  painful  as  it  would 
have  been  to  me,  for  she  would  have  done  something  unseem- 
ly. If  I  generally  receive  the  visits  of  gentlemen  in  my  own 
apartments,  they  can  only  find  admittance  through  the  great 
antechamber." 

"  Truly,  Louisa,  you  are  as  strict  as  if  you  were  the  abbess 
of  a  convent,"  pouted  the  young  lady.  "  You  should  at  least 
make  an  exception  in  favor  of  my  brother  Charles." 

"Wherefore,  Mary?"  inquired  the  Princess,  smiling. 
"  Why  should  I  make  an  exception  in  behalf  of  the  Prince  of 
Wales?  " 

"  In  the  first  place,  because  he  is  your  near  relation, 
Louisa,  and  then 

"Well,  and  then?"  asked  the  Princess  Louisa,  as  her 
young  sister-in-law  hesitated. 

"  Then,  because  he  loves  you  so  much,"  whispered  the 


A  PAIR  OF  WEDDED  LOVERS.  H3 

Princess,  while  she  threw  her  arm  around  Louisa's  neck  and 
imprinted  a  kiss  upon  her  cheek. 

Louisa  laughed.  "  My  dear,"  she  said,  "  the  Prince  of 
Wales  loves  nothing  but  himself,  and  if  he  pays  court  to  me, 
it  is  only  because  he  has  nothing  better  to  do,  and  suffers  fear- 
fully from  ennui." 

"  Oh,  ungrateful  one!  "  cried  Mary;  "  how  can  you  be  so 

cruel,  and 0  Louisa!  how  much  money  you  have! — 

how  rich  you  are!  " 

She  sprang  toward  the  still  open  casket,  and  with  curious, 
questioning  glance,  peered  within. 

"  Ah,  these  rolls  of  ducats,"  she  cried,  taking  out  a  roll 
and  balancing  it  on  the  tips  of  her  fingers,  "  and  these  precious 
bits  of  paper  inscribed  with  large  numbers!  What  do  they 
signify  ?  " 

"  Those  are  receipts  for  certain  sums  of  money  which  I 
have  intrusted  to  the  banker  von  Brinken,"  said  Princess 
Louisa,  while  she  slowly  shut  to  the  casket  and  locked  the  lid 
of  the  escritoire. 

"  How  rich  you  are,  Louisa! "  sighed  her  young  sister-in- 
law.  "  You  have  a  regular  treasury  of  state,  while  I  have 
hardly  anything,  hardly  anything,  I  tell  you,  although  I  am 
a  King's  daughter  and  the  spouse  of  the  hereditary  Prince  of 
Orange.  I  tell  you,  Louisa,  my  purse  is  again  perfectly  empty, 
and  my  poor  brother  is  quite  in  despair,  for  his  purse  is  in  the 
same  condition  as  my  own.  But,  0  Louisa!  it  is  right  hard 
to  be  a  princess  and  yet  not  to  have  as  much  money  as  you 
want.  Just  tell  me  what  good  it  does  to  be  a  princess,  if  you 
have  no  money?" 

"  It  does  this  good,  Mary,  it  teaches  us  that  even  prin- 
cesses should  learn  the  value  of  money,"  said  Louisa,  with  a 
smile. 

"  You  understand  that,"  cried  Mary;  "  you  are  wise  and 
know  how  to  economize.  Oh,  I  remember  when  the  Paris 
jeweler  was  here  not  long  since,  and  spread  out  before  us 
such  wonders  of  art,  such  beautiful  bracelets,  and  such  ex- 
quisite earrings  and  bandeaux,  that  we  were  all  perfectly  en- 
chanted— you  alone  remained  quite  cold  and  indifferent,  hard- 
ly even  bestowing  a  glance  upon  the  glorious  things.  My 


114;  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

brother  and  I  bought  and  bought,  until  to  our  horror  we 
found  that  we  had  bought  more  than  we  had  money  to  pay 
for,  and  were  obliged  to  go  in  debt.  But  you,  I  do  believe 
you  did  not  buy  a  single  ornament." 

"  No,  I  actually  did  not,"  said  the  Princess.  "  I  do  not 
like  to  array  myself  in  gold  and  precious  stones,  and  a  flower 
in  the  hair  seems  to  me  prettier  than  the  prettiest  set  of 
diamonds." 

Princess  Mary  slowly  shook  her  head.  "I  do  not  com- 
prehend you,"  she  said.  "  You  do  not  think  like  a  Princess. 
Your  mother,  though,  is  of  quite  a  different  way  of  think- 
ing. She  loves  show  and  parade,  and  I  can  assure  you  that 
my  mamma's  apartments  in  Whitehall  are  not  half  so  richly 
and  magnificently  furnished  as  the  rooms  of  the  Princess  of 
Orange  here  in  the  Stadtholder's  court.  My  mamma,  too,  is 
a  Queen  and  a  King's  daughter  born,  while  your  mamma  is 
nothing  but  a  little  Princess  of  Solms-Braunf  eld." 

"  But  a  great  Princess  through  her  virtues,  her  merits, 
her  wisdom,  and  her  wit! "  cried  Princess  Louisa  proudly. 

"  To  be  sure  she  is,"  continued  Mary  warmly,  "  and  no  one 
respects  my  dear  mother-in-law  more  than  I  do.  But  I  only 
speak  against  you  when  I  say  that  your  mother,  who  is  such 
a  wise,  prudent  Princess,  does  not  despise  pomp,  and  thinks 
it  unbecoming  a  Princess  to  be  simple  and  unassuming.  An 
empress  could  not  surround  herself  with  more  splendor  than 
your  mamma.  Her  food  is  only  served  in  golden  dishes,  all 
the  appointments  of  her  toilet  table  are  of  gold,  yea,  she  has 
even  had  the  keys  to  her  wardrobes  and  tables  made  of  pure 
gold.*  And  you  are  her  daughter,  and  yet  are  not  at  all  regu- 
lated by  your  exalted  mother's  example.  You  dress  yourself 
as  simply  as  if  you  were  an  unpretending  burgher's  daughter, 
and  actually  maintain  that  a  flower  in  the  hair  is  better  than 
the  finest  diamond  coiffure.  Ah!  if  I  only  could  have  bought 
that  splendid  set  of  diamonds  the  French  jeweler  displayed 
before  us!  But  I  had  no  money,  and  when  I  begged  mamma 
to  buy  them  for  me  she  said  that  in  these  dreadful  times  she 
had  no  money  to  spend  on  such  things.  Then  I  plucked  up 
courage,  and  wrote  a  little  note  to  my  dear  husband,  and 
*  Historical.  Von  Orlich,  History  of  Prussia,  vol.  ii,  p.  64. 


A   PAIR  OP  WEDDED  LOVERS.  115 

asked  him  just  to  buy  the  diamond  coronet  for  his  little  wife, 
and  brother  Charles  had  the  letter  secretly  conveyed  to  him. 
But  Williani  has  made  me  no  answer,  and  that  is  as  much  as  to 
say  that  he,  too,  has  no  money,  and  can  not  gratify  my  wish. 
But  I  dream  every  night  of  those  glorious  diamonds,  and,  do 
you  know,  Louisa,  I  think  if  you  only  had  the  least  bit  of  love 
for  your  little  sister-in-law  you  would  help  her  to  get  what 
she  longs  for  so  much." 

"  How  can  I  help  you?  "  asked  Princess  Louisa,  perfectly 
amazed. 

Princess  Mary  put  one  arm  around  Louisa's  waist  and 
tenderly  laid  her  little  head  on  her  shoulder.  "  You  can  help 
me  by  lending  me  two  thousand  ducats,"  she  whispered  softly. 
"  Dear  Louisa,  please  do.  Lend  me  two  thousand  ducats,  that 
I  may  buy  the  diamond  coronet,  and  I  swear  that  I  shall  pay 
you  back  just  as  soon  as  I  am  in  funds." 

"  My  dear  Mary,"  said  Louisa,  shaking  her  head,  "  you  will 
never  be  in  funds,  for  you  are  a  child,  and  do  not  know  how  to 
manage  money." 

"  Oh,  when  I  am  reigning  Princess  of  Orange,"  exclaimed 
Mary  with  beaming  eyes,  "  I  shall  have  so  much  money  that 
I  can  buy  everything  I  want,  and  I  promise  you  I  will  be  more 
economical  than  your  mamma,  for  I  shall  manage  to  do  with- 
out golden  keys,  and  instead  wear  beautiful  diamonds." 

"  You  are  very  cruel,  Mary,"  sighed  the  Princess,  "  for 
when  you  speak  of  the  time  when  you  will  be  reigning  Prin- 
cess of  Orange  you  forget  that  my  dear,  dear  father  will  be 
dead." 

"  It  was  very  thoughtless,  Louisa,  and  I  beg  your  pardon. 
But  you  have  not  answered  me  yet,  Louisa.  Will  you  gratify 
my  wish,  chere  cousine  et  scaur — will  you  lend  me  two  thou- 
sand ducats?  " 

"  I  can  not,  dear  Mary,  for,  unfortunately,  I  have  no 
money." 

"  How?  Did  my  eyes  deceive  me?  "  asked  Mary,  in  a 
quick,  excited  tone.  "  Are  there  no  rolls  of  ducats  in  yonder 
casket,  no  monied  bonds?  " 

"  No,  Mary,  your  eyes  did  not  deceive  you — all  that  is  in 
the  casket.  Only  the  money  does  not  belong  to  me." 


THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWKIi. 

"  Not  to  you  ?  To  whom,  then,  does  it  belong?  " 
"  It  belongs  to  the  poor,  to  the  daughters  of  the  common- 
wealth," replied  Louisa.  "  You  force  me  to  tell  you  a  secret 
which  nobody  knows,  and  to  speak  of  things  which  other- 
wise I  should  have  kept  concealed.  You  have  twitted  me 
with  my  plain  and  simple  dress,  and  mamma  herself  has  some- 
times found  fault  with  me  for  being  so  sparing  in  my  personal 
expenditures.  Two  years  ago,  when  I  obtained  my  father's 
gracious  permission  to  establish  a  dairy  at  the  farm,  of  which 
I  was  to  have  the  control,  it  being  also  settled  that  the  needed 
butter  and  milk  for  the  whole  household  of  the  court  should 
be  supplied  from  my  dairy,  and  paid  for  at  current  rates,  my 
mother  was  at  first  very  indignant,  and  nothing  short  of  my 
father's  gracious  intercession  could  have  procured  me  her  con- 
sent. Since  then  you  have  all  often  teased  and  ridiculed  me 
about  my  dairy,  and  suspected  me  of  being  avaricious,  and 
wanting  to  heap  up  gold  and  treasures.  But  I  will  now  con- 
fide to  you  my  inmost  thoughts,  although  perhaps  you  may 
not  quite  understand  me,  and  only  laugh  at  me.  I  felt  a  strong 
desire  to  do  good  in  the  world;  it  vexed  me  to  be  nothing  but 
a  Princess,  drawing  her  appanage  and  supported  by  her  people 
merely  on  the  ground  that  she  was  her  father's  child.  I  felt 
a  strong  desire  to  prove  my  gratitude,  and  make  myself  useful 
to  the  nation  that  had  made  the  house  of  Orange  what  it  is, 
the  nation  that  pays  an  appanage  to  me,  a  poor  Princess.  Be- 
sides, I  am  a  daughter  of  this  people,  and  share  their  joys  and 
sorrows.  I  have  seen  and  observed  how  many  poor,  unhappy 
girls  there  are,  who  are  a  burden  upon  their  parents  and  fami- 
lies, who  would  gladly  earn  their  own  bread  by  the  work  of 
their  hands,  but  are  unable  to  do  so  because  they  have  learned 
nothing,  and  can  only  do  the  rough  work  about  a  house  or 
farm.  There  has  been  but  little  attention  paid  to  founding 
good  schools  for  girls,  for  the  States  have  too  important  mat- 
ters to  attend  to  to  trouble  themselves  about  the  fate  of  the 
poor  daughters  of  the  common  people.  But  I  have  nothing 
else  of  importance  to  do,  so  I  thought  I  would  establish  a 
good  school,  where  the  daughters  of  poor  people  might 
learn  needlework,  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic,  besides 
rural  economy,  especially  dairy  work;  that,  when  they  go  out 


A  PAIR  OP  WEDDED  LOVERS. 

into  the  world,  they  can  make  themselves  useful  and  earn  a 
livelihood.  I  intend  to  found  a  school  and  public  dairy  which 
has  been  my  plan  for  years.  And  already  for  years  have  I 
been  collecting,  saving,  and  working  to  this  end.  In  the 
casket  are  the  savings  which  I  have  laid  by,  and  I  have  at  last 
enough  to  effect  the  purchase  of  a  piece  of  land  in  the  neigh- 
borhood on  which  to  build  a  house.  You  see  now,  dear  sister, 
that  I  spoke  the  truth  when  I  said,  '  this  money  does  not  be- 
long to  me.'  It  belongs  to  the  poor,  to  the  daughters  of  dear 
Holland,  and  in  this  way  I  would  make  a  slight  return  to  her 
for  what  she  has  done  for  my  family.  Forgive  me,  then,  Mary, 
if  I  can  not  gratify  your  wishes  and  lend  you  money,  for  you 
see  plainly  that  I  ought  not/' 

"  I  see  that  you  are  an  angel,"  cried  Mary,  with  tears  in 
her  eyes.  "  When  I  see  you  in  your  simple,  unadorned  attire, 
and  think  why  you  dress  so  modestly,  and  how  much  money 
I  have  wasted  on  useless  things,  you  seem  to  me  to  be  like  an 
angel,  and  I  could  fall  down  before  you  for  very  shame  and 
contrition.  Ah,  Louisa,  how  noble  are  you,  and  what  a  poor, 
foolish  child  am  I!  But  I  will  be  different.  I  will  learn  from 
you,  and  pattern  by  your  example.  I  no  longer  want  any  dia- 
monds, and  if  I  were  to  tell  my  brother  Charles  what  you 
have  done,  and " 

"  Mary,"  interposed  Louisa  earnestly,  "  I  told  you,  that  I 
had  a  secret  to  tell  you,  which  nobody  knew,  and  I  demand  of 
you  to  give  me  your  hand,  with  a  solemn  promise  never  to 
reveal  to  anybody  in  the  world  even  one  word  of  what  I  have 
said  to  you.  If  you  want  me  to  love  you,  give  me  your  hand 
upon  it,  that  you  will  not  betray  my  secret  to  anybody." 

"  Here  is  my  hand  then,  you  bad  thing!  "  cried  Mary,  lay- 
ing her  little  jeweled  fingers  in  the  outstretched  right  hand 
which  Louisa  extended.  "  If  you  threaten  to  love  me  no  more, 
then  I  must  do  whatever  you  will,  and  tell  nobody  in  the 
world  a  word  of  your  noble  secret,  although  my  brother  would 
idolize  you  if  he  knew  it." 

"  My  dear  Mary,"  said  Louisa,  smiling,  "  I  have  no  am- 
bition to  be  idolized.  '  Love  me  little,  love  me  long,'  for  in  my 
eyes  that  is  far  preferable  to  being  the  object  of  a  temporary 
idolatry,  however  passionate." 


118  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  Ah,  Louisa,  but  it  is  so  delightful  to  be  loved  right  pas- 
sionately! " 

"  As,  for  example,  my  brother  William  loves  you,  you 
would  say,  eh?" 

The  Princess  nodded.  "  He  loves  me,  he  loves  me  a  great 
deal,  and  knows  so  well  how  to  find  expression  for  his  love. 
His  letters  are  so  beautiful,  so  passionate  and  glowing,  that 
as  I  read  them  the  blood  rushes  to  my  cheeks  and  my  heart 
stands  still  for  joy  and  excitement,  and  I  kiss  the  paper  on 
which  he  wrote  such  heavenly  words.  But,  0  Louisa!  is  it  not 
cruel  in  them  to  force  William  to  say  on  paper  all  that  he  could 
say  so  much  more  easily  and  pleasantly  in  person.  Yet  I  am 
his  wedded  wife,  and  he  is  my  rightful  lord  and  husband,  and 
I  can  not  understand  by  what  right  they  prevent  us  from 
being  together,  never  to  be  parted  more." 

"  By  the  right  of  reason  they  restrain  you,  Mary,  for  you 
are  both  so  very  young,  and  they  say  no  marriages  over-hastily 
concluded  are  happy.  Besides,  it  was  so  arranged  in  the  mar- 
riage contract,  that  you  should  not  live  together  as  man  and 
wife  until  my  brother  had  completed  his  twentieth  and  you 
your  sixteenth  year.  Your  parents  on  both  sides  made  that 
express  stipulation,  and  you,  loving  children,  must  conform 
to  the  will  of  your  parents." 

"  But  things  have  altered  so  much  since  then,"  pouted 
Mary.  "  Those  arrangements  were  entered  into  just  because 
I  was  in  England,  and  meant  that  I  should  not  leave  home 
and  come  here  before  my  sixteenth  year.  But  now  the  fierce, 
rebellious  people  of  England  have  forced  my  mamma  to  take 
refuge  here  because  there  our  lives  were  no  longer  safe.  Is  it 
not  cruel  and  unnatural  to  separate  my  husband  and  myself 
any  longer,  since  fate  itself  has  united  us?  " 

"  But,  Mary,  you  are  not  separated,"  said  Louisa,  con- 
solingly. "  You  live  quite  near  one  another;  you  can  see  and 
speak  to  each  other  every  day,  and " 

"  Fine  seeing,  fine  speaking,  fine  being  together,"  inter- 
rupted Mary.  "  They  never  permit  us  to  be  alone  together, 
or  to  speak  to  one  another  save  in  the  presence  of  witnesses. 
And  as  to  being  together,  it  is  almost  a  worse  separation  than 
if  we  were  separated  by  water  and  land.  My  husband  lives 


A  PAIR  OP  WEDDED  LOVERS.  119 

here  at  The  Hague,  while  I  live  at  Bosch  with  mamma,  only 
separated  by  a  half  hour's  ride,  and  yet  farther  parted  than 
if  an  ocean  rolled  between  us,  for  oceans  can  be  crossed,  but 
between  us  is  interposed  the  will  of  my  severe  mother-in-law, 
and  against  that  no  force  can  prevail." 

"  Do  not  forget,  Mary,  that  your  mother  is  of  the  same 
mind  as  my  own.  And  you,  foolish  child,  be  glad  that  you  can 
enjoy  so  long  the  springtime  of  your  happiness  and  love,  and 
content  yourself  with  being  my  brother's  worshiped  and 
idolized  bride." 

"  Oh,  William  swears  in  all  his  letters  that  he  will 
worship  and  idolize  me  all  his  life,  and  that  it  will  make  no 
difference  at  all,  when  I  am  his  wife  and  with  him  all  the 
time." 

"  I  believe  all  men  swear  the  same  so  long  as  they  are  un- 
married," said  Louisa,  smiling;  "  but  no  one  has  ever  heard 
of  their  keeping  the  vows  which  they  bestow  so  lavishly  upon 
their  lady-loves." 

"William  will  make  an  exception,"  insisted  Mary,  "and 
I  know  one  other  person  who  will  make  an  exception,  too, 
and  love  his  wife  just  as  ardently  as  he  now  does  the  mistress 
of  his  heart." 

"  And  who,  if  I  may  ask,  is  this  person?  " 

"  My  brother  Charles,  dear  Louisa,  and  you  are  the  mis- 
tress of  his  heart.  You  smile,  and  shake  your  head  incredu- 
lously. Just  tell  me,  Louisa,  how  can  you  be  so  hard- 
hearted?" 

"  I  am  not  hard-hearted,"  said  Louisa  softly,  and  a  light 
cloud  of  melancholy  flitted  across  her  brow.  "  On  the  con- 
trary, I  believe  I  am  right  tender-hearted." 

"  You  are  not  so  toward  my  brother  Charles,  at  any  rate," 
said  Mary  warmly.  "  He  loves  you,  and  instead  of  returning 
his  love  you  do  not  even  believe  in  it." 

"  Faith  can  not  be  forced,"  replied  Louisa,  shrugging 
her  shoulders.  "  But  let  us  speak  no  more  of  this,  Mary.  Why 
should  my  dear  little  sister-in-law  trouble  herself  about  other 
people's  love  affairs.  Let  us  speak  of  yourself.  You  came 
to  get  me  to  walk  with  you,  and  of  course  my  brother  William 
is  to  be  of  the  party." 


120  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  Of  course,  William  and  brother  Charles,  too,  for  you 
can  not  accompany  us  without  an  escort." 

"  For  to  go  beside  you  is  not  admissible,  is  it?  " 

"  It  is  bad  enough,"  complained  Mary,  "  that  we  must  have 
companions  at  all.  But  if  you  and  my  brother  Charles  are 
talking,  you  can  not  at  least  overhear  our  conversation." 

"  Well,  I  accept  your  brother  as  my  escort  for  the  whole 
walk.  But,  in  return,  you  must  promise  me  something." 

"  What  would  you  have  of  me,  dear,  good  Louisa?  "  said 
Mary  coaxingly,  as  she  threw  her  arms  around  her  sister-in- 
law. 

"  You  must  let  us  go  behind,  not  before  you,  that  we  may 
see  where  you  go  and  follow  you." 

"  Do  you  insist  upon  this,  Louisa?  " 

"  I  insist  upon  it,  Mary,  not  voluntarily,  but  because  I 
must  acknowledge  that  this  is  the  only  condition  on  which 
mamma  permits  my  brother  William  to  go  out  walking  with 
you  and  your  brother  Charles  without  other  attendance,  and 
I  have  given  my  word  that  this  condition  shall  be  faithfully 
observed." 

"  Well,  if  you  have  given  your  word,"  sighed  Mary,  "  of 
course  it  must  not  be  broken.  But  please,  sister,  let  us  delay 
no  longer,  and  let  the  gentlemen  come  in." 

"  Just  grant  me  a  few  minutes  more,  that  I  may  change 
my  dress.  You  see  I  am  still  in  my  dairy  costume." 

"  And  my  brother  tells  me  that  he  has  won  his  wager, 
and  seen  you  in  your  housekeeping  dress,"  cried  Mary  laugh- 
ing. 

"  True,  he  did  surprise  me;  but  as  to  winning  his  wager, 
that  is  doubtful,  for  1  did  not  let  him  see  me  of  my  own  free 
will,  he  only  succeeded  in  surprising  me.  But  now  let  me 
go  and  dress.  I  shall  not  keep  you  waiting  long." 

"  Do  eo,  Louisa,  but — I  must  tell  you  one  piece  of  news, 
a  great  piece  of  news." 

"  Well,  what  is  it?  " 

"We  are  to  have  a  visitor,  a  handsome,  young  visitor. 
Why,  you  seem  perfectly  cool  and  indifferent!  Guess  who 
it  is." 

"No,  indeed,  sister.    I  would,  rather  not  guess,"  replied 


A   PAIR  OF  WEDDED  LOVERS.  121 

the  Princess,  who  had  already  reached  her  dressing-room  door, 
and  laid  her  hand  upon  the  handle  of  the  latch.  "  What  sort 
of  a  visitor  is  it?" 

"  The  Elector  of  Brandenburg  is  coming,  Louisa;  he  will 
be  here  this  very  day." 

"  Ah,  I  forgot,"  replied  Louisa,  with  indifference.  "  They 
were  talking  about  it  yesterday  at  dinner.  My  father  men- 
tioned it  to  Minister  von  Dambohke." 

"  You  heard  that,  Louisa,  and  still  pretended  not  to  know 
of  what  visitor  I  was  speaking.  Ah,  cousin,  you  are  sly,  and 
know  very  well  how  to  dissemble." 

"  I  am  sure  I  can  not  see  in  this  any  cause  for  dissimula- 
tion on  my  part,"  replied  Louisa  coldly. 

"  Why,  you  do  not  wish  any  one  to  observe  how  delighted 
you  are  to  see  your  cousin  again,"  said  Mary,  smiling,  "  but 
everybody  knows  how  much  interest  you  take  in  him.  You 
never  speak  of  him  but  in  terms  of  praise,  and  if  any  one  ven- 
tures to  find  fault  with  him,  it  is  always  you  who  undertake 
his  defense." 

"  I  defend  him  because  he  is  not  here  to  defend  himself, 
and  because  I  can  not  bear  to  hear  the  absent  censured.  You 
are  right,  too,  in  saying  that  I  take  great  interest  in  him,  for 
he  is  my  near  relation,  and  was  always  so  good  and  kind  to 
me  when  he  stayed  at  The  Hague  nine  years  ago.  I  was  then 
a  little  girl  of  ten,  and  no  one  troubled  himself  about  such  a 
mere  child.  The  Electoral  Prince,  however,  had  a  kind  word 
for  me,  and  sometimes  even  played  in  the  park  with  me,  and 
listened  patiently  to  stories  about  my  cows  and  little  garden." 

"  The  only  question  is,"  said  Mary,  a  little  sharply, 
"  whether  the  Princess  Ludovicka  Hollandine  was  not  in  your 
neighborhood  while  he  was  listening  to  such  rural  tales." 

The  countenance  of  Princess  Louisa,  which  had  glowed 
with  gentle  radiance  as  she  recalled  these  reminiscences  of 
her  childhood,  was  now  overshadowed,  and  her  cheeks  grew 
pale. 

"  What  do  you  know  about  the  Princess  Ludovicka  Hol- 
landine? "  she  asked. 

"  I  know  all  about  her,"  replied  Mary  with  important 
air.  "Prince  William  has  told  me  all,  for,  you  know,  there 


122  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

nre  no  secrets  among  married  people,  and  in  our  yesterday's 
walk,  when  the  conversation  turned  upon  the  Elector's  ap- 
proaching visit,  he  told  me  the  whole  story.  I  must  tell  you 
I  was  very  indignant  at  the  Elector's  conduct,  and  think  he 
treated  the  Princess  of  the  Palatinate  very  shamefully  and 
cruelly.  In  the  first  place,  he  vowed  eternal  love  to  her  and 
formed  an  engagement  with  her,  and  afterward  heartlessly 
forsook  her,  although  he  knew  that  the  Princess  loved  him 
passionately,  and  although  he  himself  had  sought  first  to 
awaken  this  love  in  her  heart.  Oh,  it  was  unpardonable  in 
him,  and  will  be  an  abiding  reproach  to  him,  for  his  faithless- 
ness drove  the  poor  Princess  to  such  despair  that  she  fled  to 
France,  there  to  become  a  Catholic  and  immure  herself  in  a 
nunnery.  You  see,  I  know  the  whole  story,  and  this  time 
you  will  not  attempt  to  defend  or  excuse  the  Electoral  Prince." 

"  No,  I  shall  not  attempt  it,"  said  Louisa  softly,  "  for  to 
defend  the  Elector  is  to  accuse  Princess  Hollandine,  and  to 
excuse  him  is  to  inculpate  her.  I  was  a  mere  child  at  the 
time,  and  of  course  no  one  spoke  on  the  subject  to  me;  only 
accidentally  have  I  heard  this  melancholy  story  occasionally 
alluded  to.  No  one  thinks  of  it  any  longer,  it  has  been  for- 
gotten." 

"  The  Princess  will  not  be  apt  to  forget  it  in  her  cloister," 
said  Mary,  with  asperity;  "  and  when  she  hears  that  the 
Elector  is  here,  and  for  what  purpose  he  comes,  she  will 
doubtless  again  shed  bitter  and  scalding  tears." 

"  For  what  purpose,  then,  do  you  think  that  the  Elector 
comes?  "  asked  Louisa. 

"  Ah,  little  coquette,  as  if  you  did  not  know!  Well,  I  will 
tell  you.  The  Elector  comes  to  espouse  you,  to  ask  the  hand 
of  his  cousin,  the  Princess  Louisa  Henrietta  of  Orange." 

"  My  dear  Mary,"  said  Princess  Louisa,  with  a  gentle  smile, 
"you  have  been  totally  misinformed,  and  I  am  astonished 
that  you  could  believe  such  a  tale  for  a  single  moment.  Do 
you  not  know  that  the  Elector  has  been  courting  the  Queen  of 
Sweden  for  two  years?  " 

"  Yes,  but  that  match  is  now  entirely  broken  off.  Queen 
Christina  has  scorned  to  accept  the  little  Elector,  and  there- 
fore  » 


THE  WALK.  123 

"  And  therefore/'  interrupted  Louisa  proudly,  "  therefore 
you  think  the  Elector  will  do  me  the  honor  to  propose  for  my 
hand?  Happily,  however,  you  are  mistaken.  The  marriage 
of  the  Elector  with  the  Queen  of  Sweden  is  now  a  settled  mat- 
ter. The  Elector,  I  believe,  has  only  political  views  in  com- 
ing here,  wishing  to  ally  himself  with  Holland,  and  he  goes 
from  here  to  Sweden  to  consummate  his  marriage  with  the 
Queen." 

"  How  do  you  know  all  this,  Louisa?  " 

"  I  heard  my  father  tell  Minister  Dambohke  so  yesterday. 
You  see,  therefore,  dear  Mary,  that  you  were  mistaken.  But 
now  I  will  go  and  make  a  hasty  toilet,  for  I  know  my  brother 
William  is  already  awaiting  you  with  impatience." 


III.— THE  WALK. 

A  QUARTER  of  an  hour  later  Princess  Louisa  returned  to 
the  sitting  room,  where  her  young  sister-in-law  still  awaited 
her.  She  had  exchanged  her  morning  costume  for  a  dress  at 
once  rich  and  elegant.  But  she  did  not  appear  in  the  fashion- 
able French  robes,  such  as  had  been  for  some  time  worn  by 
all  distinguished  ladies  and  adopted  at  almost  all  the  European 
courts,  but  adhered  to  her  national  costume,  only  that  it  was 
made  of  costly  materials,  and  a  little  accommodated  to  the  pre- 
vailing mode,  for  the  full  silk  skirt  fell  down  to  the  feet,  and 
instead  of  the  Dutch  boot  with  buckles  she  wore  the  French 
satin  slipper  with  its  high  red  heels.  The  Dutch  cap,  too, 
with  its  golden  clasps  had  disappeared  from  her  head,  and  no 
ornament  supplied  its  place  save  the  redundancy  of  blonde 
hair  which  encircled  her  brow  with  pretty  little  ringlets,  fell 
in  longer  curls  on  both  sides  of  her  face,  and  was  caught  up 
behind  in  braids  confined  by  a  simple  knot  of  blue  ribbon. 

"You  look  wonderfully  pretty,  Louisa,"  cried  Princess 
Mary,  coming  forward  to  meet  her.  "  Brother  Charles  will 
be  charmed  with  you." 

"  As  if  I  had  made  my  toilet  for  him,"  said  Louisa,  shrug- 


124  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

ging  her  shoulders.  "  But  come,  Mary,  we  must  go.  The 
two  gentlemen,  I  suppose,  are  waiting  for  us  in  the  hall  be- 
low." 

"  Yes,  and  I  expect  they  are  impatient  enough  at  our 
long  delay." 

Princess  Louisa  threw  a  mantle  around  her  shoulders,  cov- 
ered her  head  with  a  black  lace  veil,  worn  at  that  time  instead 
of  a  hat,  and  gave  her  arm  to  her  young  sister-in-law  to  con- 
duct her  into  the  hall  below.  Two  young  men  in  French 
court  dresses  of  satin,  richly  embroidered  with  gold,  advanced 
to  meet  them,  saluting  the  Princesses  with  profound  bows. 
One  of  them  was  the  same  young  man  who  had  so  startled 
the  Princess  on  her  return  from  her  inspection  of  the  farm 
buildings;  it  was  the  Prince  of  Wales,  Charles  Stuart,  son 
of  King  Charles  I,  who  was  at  that  time  fighting  with  his 
people  the  desperate  battle  of  monarchy  against  the  sover- 
eignty of  the  people.  The  other  young  man,  a  few  years  older, 
was  the  Prince  of  Orange,  the  Stadtholder's  only  son  and 
lawful  successor.  His  grave,  handsome  face  was  lighted  up 
with  joy  as  he  saw  his  young  wife  advancing  to  meet  him, 
radiant  in  youth,  beauty,  and  love,  and  after  his  first  formal 
salutation,  he  hastened  up  to  her,  seized  both  her  hands  and 
fervently  pressed  them  to  his  lips.  She  looked  at  him,  and 
their  eyes  met  in  a  glance  that  needed  not  the  interposition 
of  words  to  make  it  understood. 

"  Cousin  Louisa,  have  you  not  a  word  or  a  look  for  me?  " 
whispered  the  Prince  of  Wales,  approaching  the  Princess 
Louisa. 

"  Yes,  I  have  one  word  for  you,"  said  she,  smiling.  "  This 
is  it:  let  us  begin  our  walk,  for  the  sun  shines  so  beautifully 
and  there  is  such  a  delicious  breeze." 

She  turned  to  the  young  pair,  who  still  stood  hand  in  hand, 
looking  at  each  other  and  speaking  in  soft  whispers. 

"  Come,  brother,  come,  sister,"  she  said,  "  let  us  go.  The 
sun  is  waiting  upon  us." 

"  No,"  cried  Prince  William,  pointing  to  his  young  partner, 
"  my  sun  is  here  beside  me!  " 

"  But  she  will  cease  to  shine  upon  you,  brother,  if  you 
do  not  submit  to  the  will  and  direction  of  our  mother.  Be 


THE  WALK.  125 

wise,  brother;  we  have  permission  to  take  a  walk  together. 
Let  us  go,  then,  quietly  and  with  all  due  decorum." 

"  I  may  at  least  offer  the  Princess  my  arm,  may  I  not?  " 
asked  Prince  William,  sighing. 

"  Yes,  brother,  but  in  sober  fashion,  as  becomes  a  husband 
who  has  been  married  five  years  already." 

"  You  do  but  laugh  at  me  and  my  misfortune,"  sighed 
the  Prince,  as  he  offered  Mary  his  arm  and  led  her  to  the  outer 
door. 

"And  you,  cousin?"  asked  the  Prince  of  Wales.  "Will 
you  not  do  me  the  favor  to  accept  my  arm?  " 

"  Why  so,  cousin  ?  "  quietly  answered  she.  "  Let  us  go 
along  side  by  side,  freely  and  independently — that  is  best." 

The  Prince  probably  caught  the  secret  meaning  of  her 
words,  for  suddenly  a  dark  cloud  overshadowed  his  face,  and 
in  passionate  impatience  he  stamped  upon  the  ground. 

"  Cousin,"  he  said  quickly,  and  with  quivering  lips,  "  you 
must  acknowledge  that  I  won  my  wager  this  morning?  " 

"Yes,  cousin,  you  won  it,  although  not  quite  fairly,  I 
think."  ' 

"  I  won  it,  and  you  must  pay  me  a  forfeit.  I  shall  esteem 
myself  richly  paid  if  you  will  give  me  your  arm  for  the  whole 
walk." 

"My  dear  cousin,"  said  the  Princess,  with  friendly  com- 
posure, "  I  accept  your  terms,  and  pay  the  forfeit." 

So  saying  she  took  the  Prince's  proffered  arm,  and  drew 
him  forward  after  the  young  lovers,  who  had  already  left  the 
hall  and  stood  upon  the  staircase  leading  down  into  the  park. 

"  Louisa,"  pleaded  the  Prince,  pressing  her  arm  close  to 
his  heart,  "  you  have  given  me  your  arm  for  the  whole  walk, 
you  recollect — for  the  whole  walk,  and  you  can  not  withdraw 
it  for  a  single  instant.  Give  me  your  word  that  you  will  not 
forget,  and  that  you  will  not  tell  anybody,  not  even  our 
brother  and  sister,  that  you  only  grant  me  this  favor  in  conse- 
quence of  a  wager." 

"  I  give  you  my  word,  cousin!  " 

Arm  in  arm  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  Princess  Louisa 
followed  the  other  two.  With  light,  fleet  step  the  two  bloom- 
ing young  couples  descended  the  stairs  leading  into  the  garden, 


126  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER 

and  followed  the  broad  avenue  until  they  reached  the  little 
side  path  leading  deeper  into  the  wooded  part  of  the  park. 

Above,  at  her  chamber  window,  the  Princess  Amelia  stood 
cautiously  looking  out  from  behind  the  curtains,  and  with 
sharp  eyes  observed  the  movements  of  the  young  people. 

"  Ever  the  same  infatuation,  the  same  ardor,"  she  said, 
shaking  her  head  disapprovingly.  "  She  will  be  a  dangerous 
rival,  for  she  will  govern  his  heart  and  senses,  while  I  shall 
only  have  his  head  on  my  side.  And  she  is  not  the  woman, 
alas!  who  ought  to  rule  her  husband,  and  Holland  will  not 
submit  patiently  to  the  experiments  of  a  young,  frivolous 
Princess.  0  God! "  she  exclaimed,  with  a  bitter  sigh,  "it  is 
hard  that  I  must  think  of  all  these  things,  even  while  my 
husband  is  alive — my  husband,  who,  as  the  physicians  assure 
me,  can  live  but  a  few  months  longer.  The  welfare  of  our 
house  and  country  is  at  stake,  however,  and  the  afflicted  wife 
must  retreat  behind  the  loving  mother  and  solicitous  ruler. 
If  my  son  William  allows  himself  to  be  ruled  by  this  thought- 
less, coquettish  little  Princess,  he  runs  the  risk  of  sharing 
the  fate  of  his  father-in-law,  the  King  of  England.  Queen 
Henrietta  is  to  blame  for  all  her  husband's  misfortunes.  I 
would  not  have  my  son  experience  a  like  fate.  No,  it  shall 
not  be;  I  will  leave  no  stone  unturned  whereby  he  may  be 
saved  from  such  a  disaster.  The  Princess  can  not  remain  here. 
I  shall  urge  my  husband  to  insist  upon  the  terms  of  the  mar- 
riage contract  being  strictly  kept." 

She  withdrew  from  the  window,  and  paced  with  bowed 
head  and  quick  step  the  length  of  her  apartment.  Without 
was  heard  the  sound  of  approaching  carriage  wheels.  The 
Princess,  however,  gave  no  heed.  She  was  wholly  absorbed 
in  thought,  and  her  plans  for  the  future  had  entirely  banished 
the  present  from  her  mind. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  pausing  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and 
proudly  drawing  herself  up,  like  a  queen  who  has  just  issued 
her  last  mandates  to  subjects  cringing  in  the  dust — "  yes,  it 
shall  be  so!  The  Princess  Mary  and  her  giddy  mother  must 
begone  from  here.  They  furnish  no  good  example  to  my 
daughter,  and  my  son  shall  not  be  snared  in  the  nets  of  this 
young  Circe.  She  must  begone — that  is  a  settled  thing!  This 


THE  WALK.  127 

very  day  my  husband  must  make  known  to  our  Prince  his 
discontent  at  seeing  him  thus  engrossed  with  his  future  wife, 
to  the  neglect  of  his  studies  and  other  duties.  He  must  insist 
upon  his  sacredly  complying  with  the  articles  of  the  marriage 
contract,  and  not  thinking  of  being  united  to  the  Princess 
Mary  before  she  has  completed  her  sixteenth  year.  William 
must  give  his  solemn  promise  to  this  effect,  and  I  shall  then 
see  myself  to  the  removal  of  this  whole  court  (so  snugly  en- 
sconced here)  to  one  of  our  border  castles.  I  shall  see,  more- 
over, that  they  return  not  before  the  proper  time.  If,  to  my 
deepest  regret,  I  lose  my  husband  in  a  few  months,  and  my  son 
succeeds  to  the  Stadtholdership,  I  will  be  alone  at  his  side, 
and  it  shall  be  my  task  so  to  influence  my  son  that  he  yield 
to  me  the  sole  guidance  of  affairs.  Directed  by  my  counsels 
and  experience,  he  will  never  again  think  of  playing  the 
part  of  a  loving  shepherd  to  his  wife.  When  the  year  is 
out,  and  the  marriage  may  be  legally  consummated,  then 
let  the  Princess  Mary  come.  I  shall  no  longer  have  any- 
thing to  fear,  and  I  shall  remain  undisputed  mistress  of  the 
field." 

The  door  was  opened  and  the  chamberlain  entered.  "  His 
highness  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg! "  was  his  announce- 
ment, and  in  the  open  doorway  appeared  the  tall  and  stately 
form  of  Frederick  William. 

Princess  Amelia  rushed  forward  to  meet  him  with  out- 
stretched arms.  "  Welcome,  dear  nephew! "  she  cried  cor- 
dially. "  With  my  whole  soul  I  bid  you  welcome!  " 

"  Thank  you,  aunt,  for  this  cordial  greeting,"  said  the 
Elector,  imprinting  a  warm  kiss  upon  the  Princess's  lips.  "  It 
really  seems  to  me  as  if  I  were  coming  home  after  a  long  ab- 
sence, and  I  assure  your  grace  that  as  I  passed  through  each 
well-known  spot  on  my  way  to  your  apartments  my  heart  beat, 
as  if  I  were  the  lost  son  returning  to  his  father's  house  after 
years  of  wandering." 

"  So  be  it,  dear  nephew!  Let  us  abide  by  your  comparison, 
and  may  you  find  this  to  be  a  father's  house.  A  lost  son,  in- 
deed, you  never  were,  and  yet  I  greet  you  as  one  found  again, 
for  your  absence  has  been  of  long  duration." 

"  But  I  come  with  a  heart  so  much  the  more  tender  and 


GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

devoted,"  said  the  Elector  feelingly,  "and  right  candidly  I 
beseech  you  to  receive  me  again  into  favor." 

"  I  must  needs  yield  to  the  pleading  of  those  blue  eyes," 
said  the  Princess,  smilingly  surveying  the  noble  form  of  her 
youthful  kinsman.  "  It  seems  to  me,"  she  continued,  "  that 
you  have  grown." 

"  When  you  saw  me  last,  dearest  aunt,  I  was  but  an  in- 
significant, little  Electoral  Prince,  and  perhaps  I  have  grown 
a  little  since  as  Elector;  but  I  am  yet  of  fearfully  diminutive 
proportions." 

"  All  will  come  with  time,  nephew,  for  you  are  of  healthy, 
robust  nature,  and  have  a  stout  will  of  your  own.  But  tell 
me,  have  you  paid  your  respects  to  my  husband,  your  dear 
uncle?" 

"  No,  most  gracious  aunt,  I  was  not  allowed  access  to  him, 
for  they  told  me  the  physicians  had  strictly  forbidden  the 
slumber  of  the  sick  Prince  to  be  disturbed.  Therefore  I  have 
ventured  to  intrude  upon  your  privacy." 

"  Ah,  my  dear  nephew,  your  uncle  is  indeed  very  sick," 
sighed  the  Princess,  "  and  had  your  visit  been  delayed  only  a 
few  months  longer  I  fear  he  would  not  have  been  here  to  bid 
you  welcome." 

"  So  they  told  me,  and  thereby  hastened  my  movements. 
But  tell  me,  aunt,  can  you  encourage  me  to  hope  for  success 
in  the  most  important  object  of  my  journey?  Shall  I  be 
welcome  to  Fraulein  Louisa  ?  " 

The  Princess  shrugged  her  shoulders  and  sighed.  "  That, 
dear  nephew,  is  a  question  which  unfortunately  I  can  not 
answer.  My  daughter  is  of  a  reserved  nature,  and  does  not 
willingly  betray  her  feelings.  She  lives  in  a  world  of  her  own, 
and,  although  kind  to  every  one,  opens  her  heart  to  none. 
Just  as  you  entered,  my  thoughts  were  engaged  with  her,  for 
I  had  been  looking  after  her  as  she  passed  down  the  park 
avenue." 

"Was  she  alone?"  asked  the  Elector,  with  animation. 
"  Permit  me  to  follow  and  speak  to  her!  " 

"  Do  so  if  you  wish  it,  dear  nephew.  But  you  will  not  find 
her  alone,  but  in  company,  and  it  was  that  very  thing  which 
occupied  my  thoughts.  My  son  William  with  his  young 


THE  WALK. 

Princess  and  the  Prince  of  Wales  went  with  her.  For  the 
rest,  I  am  very  glad  to  have  an  opportunity  of  speaking  to 
you  before  you  see  my  daughter,  for  I  have  an  important  com- 
munication to  make  to  you,  which  I  purposely  reserved  for 
a  personal  interview.  You  hegged  that  we  should  say  nothing 
of  your  addresses  to  our  daughter,  and  this  has  surprised  me, 
for  it  shows  that  a  remarkable  sympathy  exists  between  you. 
Y  ou  would  not  have  a  wife  who  only  gives  you  her  hand  under 
the  force  of  restraint,  and  just  so,  Louisa  will  only  marry  for 
love,  and  you  shall  now  learn  from  me  how  it  happened  that 
we  have  indulged  the  Princess  in  this  fantastical  wish.  The 
Elector  of  Hesse  was  here  last  year  on  a  visit,  and  sued  for 
our  Louisa's  hand.  We  gave  him  our  consent,  for  she  was 
at  the  age  when  it  is  customary  to  give  princesses  in  marriage. 
But  when  we  presented  to  Louisa  her  bridegroom  elect,  she 
was  so  overcome  by  her  emotion  that  she  fell  in  a  fainting 
fit,  which  was  followed  by  a  burning  fever.  Our  doctors 
thought  that  this  sickness  was  the  result  of  violent  nervous 
excitement,  and  that  it  might  easily  prove  dangerous  unless 
they  could  remove  from  the  Princess  all  subjects  of  distress. 
In  her  delirium,  however,  she  was  ever  lamenting  her  engage- 
ment to  the  Elector  of  Hesse,  and  called  herself  a  poor  victim, 
so  I  took  occasion,  at  a  time  when  she  was  free  from  fever, 
to  tell  her  that  her  father  and  I  would  not  insist  upon  this 
marriage,  but  that  she  was  free  to  reject  the  Elector  if  she 
chose.  She  screamed  aloud  with  delight,  seized  both  my 
hands,  and  amid  many  tears  besought  me  to  make  her  a  solemn 
promise  never  to  force  her  to  marry.  She  has  ever  since 
evinced  a  great  repugnance  to  matrimony,  and  it  would  be 
her  death  if  I  were  to  send  her  from  me,  and  command  her  to 
become  the  wife  of  some  strange  prince  whom  she  did  not 
love.  She  pleaded  with  such  touching  words  and  in  so  moving 
a  manner  that  it  was  hard  to  resist  her,  especially  as  the  physi- 
cians had  declared  it  so  important  to  avoid  giving  her  any 
cause  of  distress.  I  had  therefore  to  make  the  best  of  a  bad 
matter,  and  gave  my  princely  word  of  honor  to  our  daughter 
that  we,  her  parents,  would  never  force  her  to  marry,  but 
allow  her  to  choose  a  husband  for  herself,  or  remain  at  home 
if  she  never  felt  inclined  to  marry.  I  promised  Louisa  this, 


130  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

laying  my  right  hand  on  her  brow,  and,  like  a  meek,  tender- 
hearted mother,  I  confess  that  I  felt  recompensed  by  the 
happy  smile  that  lighted  up  my  sick  child's  face,  and  that 
in  the  rosy  light  of  dawn  she  looked  more  like  an  angel  than  a 
creature  of  mortal  mold.  She  threw  her  arms  around  my 
neck,  kissed  me  fervently,  then  sank  back  upon  her  pillow 
and  fell  asleep.  She  lay  for  thirty  hours  wrapped  in  unbroken 
slumber,  and  when  she  awoke  there  was  no  trace  of  fever, 
and  the  doctors  said  that  the  Princess  was  in  a  fair  way  to  re- 
cover. And  so  it  seemed,  for  in  two  days  Louisa  was  perfectly 
well  and  merry  as  a  lark.  I  had  saved  her  life  by  my  promise, 
but  can  not  deny  that  I  have  often  repented  it  since,  for  many 
eligible  offers  have  been  made  her,  which  she  has  invariably 
declined,  affirming  that  she  has  no  idea  of  marrying,  and 
prefers  living  at  The  Hague  with  her  dear  parents.  There- 
fore, my  dear,  I  can  say  nothing  but  '  Try  your  luck,'  and  if 
the  Princess  accepts  your  offer  you  will  be  most  welcome  to 
me  as  a  son-in-law.  But  I  promise  to  keep  my  word  and  not 
to  breathe  a  word  of  the  matter  to  the  young  lady  herself. 
I  shall  leave  you  young  people  to  settle  your  own  affairs.  I 
once  committed  the  error  of  giving  my  daughter  a  foolish 
promise,  which  I  can  not  retract,  for  I  regard  a  promise  as  a 
sacred  obligation.  See,  nephew,  if  you  can  not  soften  the 
Princess's  obdurate  heart.  But  I  must  forewarn  you  that  an- 
other is  making  the  same  effort." 

"  The  Prince  of  Wales!    He  loves  her,  then?  " 

"Yes,  he  loves  her,  and  with  all  the  impetuosity  of  a 
spoiled  young  man." 

"  And  she?  Does  she  love  Mm?  Most  earnestly  I  beseech 
your  grace  to  tell  me  candidly,  that  in  case  of  the  worst  I 
may  avoid  the  pain  and  mortification  of  being  rejected! " 

"  If  I  had  known  that,  dear  nephew,  with  any  certainty, 
I  should  have  written  to  you,  and  begged  you  not  to  come. 
But  I  will  tell  you  my  candid  opinion,  and  the  result  of  my 
observations.  It  is  true  that  Louisa  is  very  cordial  in  her 
manners  to  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  more  confidential  with 
him  than  any  other  person.  You  might  have  seen  that  for 
yourself,  if  you  had  been  here  a  few  moments  since.  Prince 
William  walked  in  front  with  Princess  Mary,  and  arm  in  arm 


THE  WALK.  131 

followed  the  Prince  of  Wales  and  Princess  Louisa  in  lively 
conversation." 

"  She  loves  him,"  murmured  the  Elector,  "  it  is  clear,  she 
loves  him." 

"  Not  quite  so  clear,  nephew  mine.  It  rather  seems  to  me 
at  times  as  if  Louisa  regarded  the  Prince  of  Wales  as  a  mere 
boy,  and  never  dreamed  that  her  kindness  toward  him  could 
be  attributed  to  any  tenderer  feeling  than  that  of  friendship. 
Only  consider,  he  is  three  years  younger  than  my  daughter, 
and  a  maiden  of  nineteen  years  seems  to  herself  sedate  and 
mature  beside  a  youth  of  sixteen.  Louisa  sometimes  plays 
the  part  of  governess  to  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  when  we 
are  displeased  with  him,  and  indignant  at  his  reckless,  forward 
behavior,  she  always  is  ready  with  this  excuse:  '  He  is  such  a 
child,  and  so  unhappy.  Surely,  you  will  be  indulgent  to  a 
poor  boy,  who  is  violent  and  passionate,  because  he  takes  so 
much  to  heart  the  misfortunes  of  his  father.'  She  is  also  of 
a  mild  and  sweet  disposition,  and  the  sorrows  of  others  find 
an  ever-ready  response  in  her  sympathizing  breast.  It  may, 
therefore,  be  nothing  but  compassion  which  makes  her  seem 
so  kindly  disposed  toward  the  Prince  of  Wales." 

"  But  if  it  should  proceed  from  a  different  feeling,  and 
if  the  Princess  should  return  the  love  of  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
would  your  grace  with  good  will  consent  to  their  union?  " 

"  With  good  will,  no,  nephew;  but  you  know  what  promise 
I  have  given  my  daughter.  I  can  only  tell  you  that  I  sincerely 
hope  your  suit  may  be  crowned  with  success." 

"  You  empower  me,  then,  dearest  aunt,  to  enter  the  lists 
with  the  Prince  of  Wales?  " 

"  I  not  merely  empower  you,  Elector,  but  wish  it,  and 
say  with  all  my  heart,  God  grant  you  the  victory!  " 

She  offered  him  her  hand,  which  he  kissed. 

"  Permit  me  to  follow  and  speak  to  the  Princess,"  he  said. 

"  Do  so,  my  dear.  You  can  then  see  how  my  daughter  is 
affected  by  your  unexpected  appearance." 

"  Does  your  grace  know  where  the  young  people  went?  " 

"  No;  but  you  may  easily  find  out  from  the  laborers  who 
are  at  work  in  the  park.  I  myself  will  go  with  you  tp  the  side 
path  into  which  they  turned." 


132  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

The  Princess  took  the  Elector's  arm  and  descended  with 
him  into  the  park.  The  two  youthful  pairs  had  meanwhile 
gone  on  their  way.  Lightly  and  airily,  as  though  on  wings, 
they  fluttered  through  the  park,  ever  onward,  not  caring 
whither  they  went,  only  selecting  the  narrowest  paths  and  the 
thickest  shrubbery.  Occasionally,  quite  forgotting  that  a 
second  couple  followed  him,  Prince  William  paused  to  gaze 
with  rapture  upon  Mary's  blushing,  smiling  face,  and  to 
listen  to  the  fond  words  which  modestly  trembled  on  her  lips. 
Tut  then  his  sister's  gentle  entreaty  warned  him  to  go  on, 
otherwise  she  smilingly  threatened  she  would  take  the  Prin- 
cess's arm  herself,  and  finish  the  walk  at  her  side.  Prince 
William  with  a  sigh  gave  heed  to  her  gentle  admonition,  but 
a  cloud  of  displeasure  settled  upon  his  brow. 

"  I  can  not  bear  it/'  he  muttered.  "  This  restraint  is  in- 
supportable. 0  Mary! "  he  continued,  with  vehemence, 
"  sometimes  it  seems  to  me  as  if  I  must  burst  by  force  the 
bonds  with  which  they  would  unjustly  fetter  me." 

"  And  I  ?  Am  I  not  fettered  too  ?  "  whispered  Mary,  with 
tenderly  coaxing  glances.  "  Do  you  believe,  then,  that  I  do 
not  feel  the  chains  to  be  heavy  and  galling  with  which  a  cruel 
fate  has  bound  me?  " 

"  Ah,  if  it  were  fate  which  chained  us,  then  I  should  sub- 
mit without  murmuring  to  the  inevitable,  and  full  of  con- 
fidence and  patience  look  forward  to  the  future.  But  it  is 
only  the  will  of  our  parents  which  separates  us;  it  is  only  my 
mother's  love  of  dominion,  who  thinks  that  the  worshiped, 
bewitching  daughter-in-law  would  become  a  dangerous  rival, 
that " 

"  Hush,  for  God's  sake,  hush! "  interposed  Mary  quickly; 
"  if  Louisa  hears  us,  we  are  lost." 

And  she  hastily  drew  her  enamored  young  husband 
away. 

"  There  they  go,"  sighed  the  Prince  of  Wales,  "  a  blessed 
and  enviable  pair  of  lovers!  Oh,  cousin,  will  you  never  suffer 
your  cruel  heart  to  be  softened?  " 

"  Cousin,  my  heart  is  not  cruel,  and  therefore  does  not 
need  to  be  softened." 

"May  I  put  my  interpretation  upon  those  words?"  asked 


THE  WALK.  133 

the  Prince,  a  flash  of  joy  perceptible  in  his  voice.  "  Do  you 
at  least  mean  to  give  me  one  ray  of  hope?  " 

"  Hope!    What  do  you  mean,  cousin?  " 

She  looked  at  him  so  calmly  with  her  large,  truthful  blue 
eyes,  that  her  composure  only  aroused  the  Prince  to  still 
greater  passion. 

"  You  will  not  understand  me!  "  he  cried  angrily.  "  You 
pretend  not  to  know  that  I  love  you,  ardently,  passionately 
love  you;  that  the  height  of  my  desire  is  to  call  you  mine; 
that  the  thought  of  you  is  the  only  star  of  hope,  which 
illumines  the  night  of  my  soul;  that  I  would  die  of  despair 
if  it  were  not  for  you — you,  with  that  magical  face,  whose 
smile  lifts  me  to  Heaven,  whose  anger  hurls  me  into  the 
depths  of  woe!  Louisa,  I  tell  you — and  would  that  I 
could  shout  it  out  so  loud  that  the  whole  earth  should 
tremble  with  the  shock! — I  love  you!  Do  you  hear? — I  love 
you! " 

"  If  you  shout  so  once  more,  cousin,"  she  replied  quietly, 
"  I  shall  drop  your  arm  and  join  the  others." 

"  Ah!  you  durst  not,  Louisa;  to-day  you  can  not  escape 
me,  for  I  have  your  word  that  you  will  not  let  go  my  arm  dur- 
ing the  whole  walk.  It  is  the  wager  I  won!  " 

"  Very  true,  I  did  give  you  my  word  to  that  effect,"  said 
the  Princess  quietly.  "  But,  cousin,  you  should  refrain  from 
taking  unfair  advantage  of  me,  and  forcing  me  to  hear  what 
were  better  left  unsaid." 

"  Yes,  I  will  force  you  to  listen!  I  will  repeat  it  until  its 
fiery  glow  shall  melt  the  icy  crust  of  your  heart!  I  love  you, 
Louisa,  I  love  you!  Oh,  do  not  -look  at  me  so  tranquilly  and 
coldly,  for  it  is  this  composure  which  drives  me  to  despair. 
Have  pity,  cruel  one!  Think  what  a  weight  of  grief  is  press- 
ing upon  me!  I  am  a  King's  son,  and  yet  have  been  compelled 
to  leave  the  proud  and  mighty  kingdom,  to  flee  to  a  foreign 
land  and  seek  an  asylum  at  the  hands  of  more  fortunate 
friends.  I  have  left  my  dear,  unhappy  father  in  the  midst  of  a 
struggle  with  contending  parties,  who  are  only  united  in 
hatred  of  their  King.  My  place  should  be  at  his  side.  Am- 
bition and  love  both  prompt  me  to  battle,  and  if  needs  be 
die,  in  defense  of  my  King  and  father.  But  the  few  friends 


134  THE  GREAT   ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

left  us  in  England  besought  me  on  their  knees  to  flee  and 
rescue  the  future  King  from  the  fierceness  of  the  raging 
multitude  athirst  for  royal  blood.  My  father  himself  urged 
me  to  effect  my  escape,  saying  that  I  owed  it  as  a  sacred  duty 
to  my  kingdom  and  my  family,  as  it  was  his  duty  to  yield  his 
crowned  and  anointed  head  to  the  men  who  threatened  the 
monarchy.  I  submitted,  I  went.  I  came  here  with  my  family, 
desperate  and  full  of  grief.  Then  I  saw  you,  Louisa,  and  it 
seemed  to  me  as  if  an  angel  had  descended  from  heaven  to 
comfort  me.  My  soul,  my  heart  bowed  down  in  adoration 
and  rapture,  and  I  felt  lifted  up  above  all  the  sorrows  and 
trials  of  life!  And  this  hallowed  impression  of  the  first  mo- 
ment has  remained  with  me  through  all  these  weeks  and 
months.  The  fugitive,  banished  King's  son  kneels  at  your 
feet,  and  no  longer  bewails  the  loss  of  country,  throne,  and 
father — the  father  who  perhaps  ere  now  has  been  butchered 
by  his  own  subjects." 

"  You  look  too  gloomily  upon  the  future,  cousin,"  said 
Louisa  gently.  "  Surely  the  dissensions  of  the  King  and  his 
people  will  be  healed,  and  who  knows  how  soon  you  will  re- 
turn in  triumph  to  England,  to  stand  once  more  beside  your 
fatber's  throne,  and  receive  the  congratulations  of  his  sub- 
jects! " 

"  No,  Louisa,  that  will  not  be,"  said  Charles,  in  a  hollow 
voice.  "  I  got  bad  news  this  morning.  A  trusty  old  servant 
arrived  with  important  dispatches  for  my  mother  from  the 
King.  Louisa,  I  will  tell  you  what  nobody  here  knows  yet, 
and  what  I  trust  to  heaven  will  long  remain  a  secret:  Louisa, 
a  new  and  dreadful  misfortune  has  overtaken  us.  After  the 
last  decisive  battle  at  Naseby,  my  father,  as  you  know,  took 
refuge  in  the  Scottish  camp  at  Newark.  He  believed  him- 
self safe  there,  for  the  Scots  were  the  only  ones  who  had  re- 
mained true  to  him,  and  fought  for  him  against  the  Parlia- 
ment generals  Fairfax  and  Cromwell." 

"  I  know,  I  know,"  said  Louisa  anxiously.  "  And  they 
remained  true,  the  brave  Scots,  did  they  not,  cousin?  " 

"  No,  Louisa;  the  Scots  betrayed  my  father,  as  Judas  did 
the  Saviour.  The  Scots  sold  their  King  to  the  hostile  Parlia- 
ment— that  is  to  say,  to  Cromwell." 


THE  WALK.  135 

"  Poor  Charles!  how  I  pity  you!  "  murmured  the  Princess, 
laying  her  hand  upon  the  Prince's  arm. 

"  Yes,  I  am  to  be  pitied,  for  this  dreadful  news  tells  me  that 
I  have  lost  my  father,  my  royal  inheritance,  and  my  home! 
At  the  moment  when  they  led  my  father  away  to  the  county 
of  Northampton,  where  he  was  incarcerated  in  Castle  Holder- 
by,  fate  allowed  him  the  opportunity  of  intrusting  to  his 
faithful  servant  Stephen  a  few  letters  and  dispatches  for  my 
mother.  In  spite  of  all  perils,  he  succeeded  in  making  good 
his  escape  from  England  and  arrived  here  in  safety.  Louisa, 
my  father  bids  my  mother  and  her  daughters  set  out  forth- 
with for  France,  in  order  to  implore  aid  and  succor  for  the 
King  of  England.  France  ought  indeed  to  do  this  unso- 
licited for  the  son-in-law  of  her  greatest  King.  Mary  Stuart's 
grandson  and  Henry  IVs  daughter  are  reduced  to  beggary, 
and  sue  for  the  help  of  other  sovereigns!  0  Louisa!  Con- 
ceive the  horrors  of  our  situation,  and  sympathize  with  us 
in  our  misery! " 

"  Believe  me,  Charles,"  whispered  Louisa,  with  tears  in 
her  eyes,  "  that  no  one  feels  more  deeply  with  you  and  yours 
in  your  misfortunes  than  I." 

"  Louisa,  it  rests  with  you  to  transform  the  most  wretched 
of  mortals  into  the  happiest.  See,  Louisa,  my  fate  is  in  your 
hand.  I  will  receive  from  you  not  merely  happiness,  but  a 
home,  a  new  fatherland.  Say  that  you  accept  my  love,  that 
you  return  it,  and  I  shall  feel  myself  indemnified  for  all  that 
I  have  lost  in  England.  I  will  stay  here  and  devote  my  whole 
life  to  you,  in  return  for  the  blessedness  which  you  have  be- 
stowed upon  me.  Say  that  you  scorn  me,  and  I  depart  with 
my  mother.  You  thrust  me  out  into  the  wilderness  of  despair, 
and  if  I  perish,  you  may  know  that  it  is  you  who  have  been  my 
ruin.  Your  love  might  have  saved  me,  your  indifference 
will  have  killed  me!  Speak  now,  Louisa,  and  decide  my  fate!  " 

His  large,  flaming  eyes  were  fixed  with  consuming  glances 
upon  the  face  of  the  Princess,  who,  however,  kept  perfectly 
quiet  and  looked  at  him  with  a  smile. 

"  My  dear  cousin,"  she  said,  "  you  take  too  seriou?  a  view 
of  the  matter,  and  erroneously  attribute  to  me  a  greater  influ- 
ence upon  your  life  than  I  possess.  The  misfortunes  of  your 


136  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

house  touch  me  deeply,  for  you  well  know  my  warm  affection 
for  my  little  sister-in-law  and  myself;  and  therefore  I  fer- 
vently wish  that  you  may  struggle  with  adversity,  and  restore 
to  your  father  his  throne  and  freedom.  It  seems  to  me  your 
every  thought  should  be  concentrated  upon  that  object,  that 
nothing  should  engage  you  but  the  attainment  of  that  end. 
You  should  banish  from  your  heart  every  opposing  desire, 
you  should  wish  for  nothing  but  your  father's  release  and 
restoration  to  his  kingly  domains.  Such  were  a  holy  aim, 
and  no  unholy  or  earthly  desire  should  be  allowed  to  divert 
you  from  it." 

"  You  would  evade  me,  cousin! "  exclaimed  the  Prince, 
with  stormy  impatience.  "My  heavens!  be  merciful  then! 
Give  me  at  least  one  gleam  of  hope!  Say  with  that  cold,  calm 
smile  of  yours:  Go,  cousin,  fight  for  your  throne,  and  free 
your  father,  and  when  you  have  succeeded  in  recovering  your 
power,  and  are  again  undisputed  heir  to  the  most  glorious 
throne  in  the  universe,  then  I  shall  see  whether  I  can  love  you 
or  at  least  become  your  wife,  for  it  is  something  to  be  a 
queen,  especially  when  I  know  the  king  will  be  my  most 
obedient  and  submissive  subject.  Say  even  thus  much, 
and  I  shall  thank  you  and  say  that  you  have  left  me  one  ray 
of  hope." 

"  You  are  very  cruel  and  unjust,  Charles,"  said  the  Prin- 
cess mournfully. 

"Cruel,  unjust?"  repeated  Charles.  "My  heavens!  do 
you  not  see  that  I  am  in  despair — that  I  stand  before  you 
like  a  wretched  pauper  pleading  for  a  crumb  of  bread  to  en- 
able me  to  support  existence,  and  hope  for  better  times?  0 
Louisa!  just  look  at  me — see  the  tears  in  my  eyes,  witnesses 
of  my  grief! " 

Princess  Louisa  turned  her  glance  upon  the  Prince's  pale, 
excited  countenance  with  an  expression  of  deep  sympathy. 
Yes,  he  wept;  unaffected  tears  stood  in  his  eyes,  and  his  lips 
quivered  with  excess  of  emotion. 

"  Poor  child!  "  sighed  Louisa.  "  You  actually  fancy  that 
you  love  me,  I  do  believe." 

"  You  call  me  a  child,  you  treat  me  as  if  I  were  a  beardless 
boy,  weeping  for  a  plaything!  " 


THE  WALK.  137 

"  Prince  Charles,  you  are  a  child  yet,  and  still  you  talk 
of  love — you!  with  your  sixteen  years!  " 

"  And  what  do  you  know  of  it,  if  you  are  three  years  my 
senior?  "  cried  Charles,  with  flashing  eyes.  "  Know,  made- 
moiselle; that  you  are  much  younger  than  I  am,  for  you  have 
seen  nothing,  felt  nothing.  You  know  neither  the  world,  nor 
life,  nor  love.  But  I,  mademoiselle,  despite  the  youth  with 
which  you  reproach  me,  am  a  man  in  feeling,  for  misfortune 
has  tempered  me,  and  years  of  adventure  count  double  in 
the  life  of  a  man!  I  am  older,  much  older,  than  you,  made- 
moiselle, and  when  I  say  that  I  love  you  boundlessly,  I  do 
not  say  that  you  are  my  first  love;  your  sweet  face  healed 
wounds  which  pitiless  fate  had  inflicted  earlier,  when  death 
snatched  from  me  my  first  love.  No,  Louisa,  you  are  not  my 
first  love,  but  you  shall  be  my  last;  for  I  will  die  if  you  thrust 
me  from  you  bereft  of  hope." 

"  You  will  not  die,  Prince,  for  you  will  find  a  balm  for 
this  wound  as  readily  as  for  the  first/'  said  Louisa,  with  a 
gentle  smile. 

"You  do  not  believe  in  my  love,  then,  my  despair,  my 
devouring  grief?" 

"  No,  I  do  not  believe  in  them,  Prince." 

The  Prince  uttered  a  cry  of  rage,  and  stood  still,  trembling 
with  passionate  excitement.  "  I  will  tell  you  why  you  do  not 
believe  in  it,"  he  said,  with  hollow  voice  and  teeth  firmly  set. 
"  You  do  not  believe  in  my  love  because  you  do  not  under- 
stand it,  because  your  own  heart  is  incapable  of  a  warm  and 
glowing  sentiment,  because  you  are  of  a  nature  to  vegetate 
only  in  dampness  and  mist,  having  no  conception  of  heat 
and  sunshine.  Ah,  mademoiselle,  despite  your  beauty  and 
grace,  you  are  a  poor,  pitiable  creature.  You  might  be  divine 
and  you  are  but  a  thing  of  ice  in  woman's  form,  for  you  know 
not  love." 

The  Princess  shuddered  slightly,  and  an  expression  of 
mingled  pain  and  ecstacy  flitted  across  her  glowing  counte- 
nance. "You  are  mistaken,"  she  said;  "indeed,  you  mis- 
understand me.  I  do  know  love.  But  what  you  in  the 
folly  of  your  passionate,  childish  heart  "call  love  is  not  true 
love." 


138  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  And  what  is  true  love?  "  asked  the  Prince  despairingly. 
"  Explain  it  to  me,  if  you  know  it  so  well!  " 

"  True  love  is  never  unhappy  and  never  complains,"  said 
Louisa  softly,  but  as  she  spoke  her  countenance  gradually 
brightened,  and  at  last  grew  radiant  with  the  rapture  of  in- 
spiration. "  True  love  is  unselfish  and  self-sacrificing,  ask- 
ing nothing  but  giving  everything,  lavishing  upon  her 
beloved  all  the  treasures  of  her  thought  and  sensibility.  To 
serve  him,  joyfully  would  she  go  to  death,  and  yet  not  die, 
for  she  bears  within  her  the  principle  of  endless  life.  She 
hourly  denies  herself,  is  chaste  and  pure,  hiding  in  shade, 
and  yet  basking  in  perpetual  sunshine.  Nothing  can  shake, 
nothing  move  her;  she  suffers,  it  is  true,  in  endeavoring  to 
guard  her  own  fire  in  solitude  and  concealment,  yet  the  divine 
flames  mount  upward,  seeking  their  native  element,  for  God 
is  love!  True  love  asks  for  no  earthly  possession,  yet  possesses 
what  is  inalienable,  herself,  and  in  herself  the  purest  enjoy- 
ment. Every  desire  of  her  nature  is  concentrated  in  the  one 
wish,  to  know  the  object  of  her  devotion  blessed,  and  for  this 
she  lives,  for  this  she  would  gladly  die!  " 

"Louisa! "  exclaimed  the  Prince,  looking  up  at  her  with 
astonished,  awe-struck  glances,  as  she  stood  motionless,  with 
folded  hands  and  eyes  upturned  to  heaven — "  Louisa,  how 
changed  you  are!  So  glorious  to  behold,  so  celestial  in  your 
beauty!  0  Louisa! " 

She  shrank  like  a  somnambulist,  suddenly  awakened  and 
recalled  from  her  heavenly  dreams  and  converse  with  the  stars 
to  earth  and  reality. 

"Come,"  she  said,  with  a  shiver — "come,  let  us  hasten 
on,  for  you  see  our  brother  and  sister  are  already  far  in  ad- 
vance, and  we  shall  have  difficulty  in  overtaking  them." 

She  hurriedly  drew  the  Prince  of  Wales  forward,  and  he 
followed  her,  absorbed  in  silent  thought. 


FRIENDS  MEET  AGAIN.  139 


IV. — FRIENDS  MEET  AGAIN. 

THE  Prince  of  Orange  and  his  fair  bride  were  meanwhile 
well  aware  that  the  two  lingered  behind,  and  consequently 
quickened  their  own  pace  to  make  the  distance  yet  greater. 
Now  a  curve  in  the  path  entirely  concealed  them  from  their 
followers,  and  two  old  oaks,  standing  close  together  and  of 
gigantic  proportions,  offered  them  a  grateful  shelter,  where 
they  were  secure  from  the  prying  gaze  of  all  intruders.  The 
Prince  drew  his  beloved  behind  this  shelter,  took  her  in  his 
arms,  and  covered  her  mouth  with  glowing  kisses. 

"Mary,  my  dear,  beloved  Mary!"  he  whispered,  "know 
how  inexpressibly  I  love  you,  how  inexpressibly  wretched  I 
am,  and  then  say  that  you  will  hearken  to  my  entreaties — 
that,  like  myself,  you  are  determined  no  longer  to  submit 
to  this  unnatural  restraint,  no  longer  to  suffer  them  to  keep 
us  apart,  since  we  belong  to  each  other,  and  have  plighted 
our  sacred  troth!  Speak,  Mary,  say  that  you  will  be  mine, 
forever  mine! " 

"  I  will  be  yours,  forever  yours! "  whispered  the  Prin- 
cess. 

He  thanked  her,  pressing  her  more  closely  in  his  arms, 
and  kissing  her  again  and  again.  "  And  will  you  have  courage 
and  determination  to  contend  against  all  difficulties,  and  to 
do  what  is  needful  for  the  execution  of  our  project?  " 

"  I  shall  have  courage  and  determination.  But  tell  me 
what  we  shall  have  to  do." 

He  bent  closer  over  her  ear  and  kissed  its  rosy  tip  before 
he  answered.  "  We  must  make  our  escape,"  he  whispered — 
"  flee  before  the  tyranny  of  our  parents,  and  force  them  into 
measures." 

"Flee! "  she  repeated,  blushing  for  joy  and  clapping  her 
hands  like  a  little  child.  "  Flee!  Oh,  what  a  charming  adven- 
ture that  will  be!  But  how  can  we  succeed  in  evading  our 
mother's  spies,  and " 

"  Mary,  Mary! "  called  the  Princess  Louisa's  voice  quite 

in  their  neighborhood.  "  Mary,  where  are  you,  where 

Ah!  there  they  are  behind  the  two  oaks!  Come,  Prince, 
10 


140  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

come  quick!  They  would  play  at  hide-and-go-seek  with 
us!" 

"  Mary,"  whispered  Prince  William  hurriedly,  imprint- 
ing a  last  kiss  upon  her  lips — "  Mary,  I  will  make  all  arrange- 
ments with  your  brother,  and  through  him  acquaint  you 
with  all  the  details  of  our  plan.  Only  be  on  your  guard,  and 
be  ready  to  come  at  any  hour  that  I  may  call  and — 

He  saw  the  fluttering  of  his  sister's  blue  skirt  behind  the 
oak,  and,  offering  the  Princess  his  arm,  emerged  from  behind 
the  tree. 

"  Here  we  are,"  he  said,  smiling.  "  We  have  been  resting 
a  little,  and  waiting  for  you,  and  I  must  say  that  you  have 
kept  us  waiting  a  good  long  while." 

"  True,  we  have  loitered  a  little,"  replied  Louisa,  "  but 
now  we  will  go  on  with  renewed  spirit." 

"I  am  tired  and  thirsty,"  said  Princess  Mary  languidly. 
"  Let  us  at  least  find  a  bench  where  we  may  sit  down  and  rest 
awhile." 

"  We  are  quite  close  to  the  Chinese  Pavilion  now,"  said 
Louisa,  "and  at  the  porter's  lodge  there  we  can  procure  a 
glass  of  milk  for  my  tender  little  sister.  Come,  let  us  ascend 
this  path,  and  in  five  minutes  we  shall  be  in  sight  of  the 
pavilion." 

Silently,  thoughtfully  they  moved  forward,  until,  as  Prin- 
cess Louisa  had  predicted,  in  a  few  moments  they  caught  sight 
of  the  great  Chinese  Pavilion,  which  in  the  happy  days  of 
early  wedlock  Prince  Frederick  Henry  had  caused  to  be 
erected  for  the  gratification  of  his  young  bride.  A  natural 
opening  in  the  midst  of  the  wooded  park  had  been  laid  out 
as  a  Chinese  garden,  with  miniature  shrubbery,  statues,  pa- 
godas, and  all  the  odd  little  ornaments  with  which  those 
wonderful  people  are  accustomed  to  adorn  their  pleasure 
grounds.  At  the  end  of  this  garden,  which  was  encircled  by 
trees,  lay  the  pavilion,  curtained  by  a  background  of  lofty 
yew  trees.  The  two  young  couples  quickened  their  pace,  and 
walked  briskly  through  the  intricate  paths  winding  toward 
the  pavilion  between  flower  beds  edged  with  bits  of  porcelain. 
The  porter,  who  had  seen  them  coming,  made  haste  to  open 
the  grand  door  of  entrance,  to  spread  Chinese  carpets  over  the 


PRINCE  WILLIAM  AND  PRINCESS  MARY  AT  THE  TIME  OF 
THEIR  BETROTHAL. 

From  the  painting  by  Anthony  Van  Dyck. 


FKIENDS  MEET  AGAIN.  141 

marble  benches  in  front  of  the  pavilion,  and  above  these  to 
stretch  gigantic,  umbrella-shaped  awnings,  which,  supported 
on  tall  poles,  arose  like  monstrous  mushrooms.  Our  pedes- 
trians sank  upon  the  benches  thus  pleasantly  shaded,  and 
after  their  long  walk  gave  themselves  up  with  a  feeling  of 
infinite  delight  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  scene  around.  The 
porter  without  delay  handed  them  upon  a  silver  waiter  tall 
glasses  of  milk,  with  fruit  and  fresh  pastry;  but  only  Prin- 
cess Mary  and  her  husband  partook  of  the  frugal  re- 
past. The  other  young  couple  sat  there  mute,  and  not  even 
the  jests  and  bantering  of  his  sister  could  arouse  the  Prince 
of  Wales  from  his  gloomy,  thoughtful  silence.  Only  occasion- 
ally his  large,  flaming  eyes  looked  up  from  beneath  the  knit 
eyebrows  and  were  fixed  with  glances  at  once  questioning 
and  wrathful  upon  Princess  Louisa,  who  meanwhile  heeded 
him  not  at  all,  but  with  a  gentle  smile  allowed  her  friendly, 
clear  blue  eyes  to  revel  in  the  beauties  of  the  scene  spread 
out  before  her.  The  flowers  and  shrubs,  the  butterflies  sport- 
ing from  flower  to  flower,  the  songs  of  birds,  and  the  soft 
rustling  of  the  trees  as  they  were  agitated  by  the  breeze,  filled 
her  senses  with  pleasing  emotions.  Suddenly  she  started,  a 
deep  blush  suffused  her  cheeks,  and  motionless,  with  wide- 
open  eyes  and  hands  convulsively  grasping  the  edge  of  the 
black  marble  table  before  her,  she  gazed  across  the  garden 
in  the  direction  of  the  little  alley  through  which  they  had 
just  issued  from  the  park. 

She  had  espied  the  form  of  a  young  man,  a  young  man, 
whom,  it  is  true,  she  had  not  seen  for  a  long  while,  but  whom 
she  nevertheless  recognized  with  the  eyes  of  her  heart,  with 
the  pious  instinct  of  memory.  Was  it  indeed  he,  or  was  it 
only  a  dream?  She  continued  to  gaze  beyond  the  garden, 
and  her  whole  life,  her  whole  soul  lay  in  that  gaze.  She  saw 
him — it  was  no  illusion,  no  dream!  She  knew  that  handsome 
figure,  displayed  to  such  advantage  in  a  closely-fitting  suit 
of  green  velvet,  with  golden  Brandenburgs  upon  the  breast. 
She  knew  that  noble,  blooming,  yet  manly  face,  shaded  though 
it  was  by  a  plumed  hat  trimmed  with  gold  lace;  well  she 
knew  who  it  was,  who  with  light,  elastic  step  and  lofty  bear- 
ing advanced  through  the  Chinese  garden  straight  to  the 


U2  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

pavilion.  Forgetting  everything,  only  remembering  that  it 
was  the  friend,  the  playmate  of  her  childhood  whom  she  saw 
again  after  a  long  separation,  Louisa  sprang  from  her  seat, 
and  with  the  fleetness  of  a  gazelle  hastened  to  meet  him. 

The  Prince  of  Wales  was  startled  out  of  his  gloomy  rever- 
ies, the  tender  married  pair  ceased  their  whispers,  and  all  three 
followed  the  rapid  movements  of  the  Princess  with  glances 
of  astonishment.  They  now  saw  the  young  man,  who  with 
a  radiant  face  hurried  forward  to  meet  the  young  lady.  Now 
they  were  close  together,  the  young  man  doffed  his  hat  and 
bowed  lowly  and  reverentially  before  the  Princess.  But  she 
held  out  to  him  both  her  hands,  and  he  dropped  his  hat,  took 
both  hands  within  his  own,  fell  on  one  knee  before  the  Prin- 
cess, and  pressed  both  her  hands  to  his  lips.  They  formed  a 
striking  group,  that  kneeling  young  man,  looking  up  with 
beaming,  grateful  countenance,  that  slender  maidenly  form 
gently  inclining  forward  and  looking  down  upon  him  who 
knelt  before  her.  An  interesting  group!  More  interesting 
than  all  the  groups  of  Chinese  gods  and  angels  and  genii  in- 
terspersed among  the  flower  beds!  But  upon  the  Prince  of 
Wales  it  produced  a  very  disagreeable  impression,  and  with  a 
face  flushed  with  anger  he  turned  to  the  Prince  of  Orange,  who 
was  examining  the  young  stranger  with  searching  glances. 

"  Who  is  this  third  man,"  he  asked,  "  who  dares  to  in- 
trude here  unannounced,  and  greets  your  sister  with  such 
peculiar  complaisance  ?  " 

"It  is Yes  indeed,  I  am  not  mistaken,  it  is  our 

cousin,  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg! "  cried  Prince  William, 
with  animation,  and  he  too  sprang  forward  to  greet  his  rela- 
tive. 

The  Prince  of  Wales  likewise  made  a  few  steps  forward, 
possibly  not  to  salute  the  stranger,  but  to  interrupt  his  in- 
terview with  the  Princess  Louisa;  but  then  he  paused  and 
slowly  returned  to  his  seat. 

"  No,"  he  said  proudly,  "  I  shall  not  go  to  meet  this  little 
Elector!  This  petty  German  Prince  is  not  equal  in  rank  to 
the  Prince  of  Wales,  and  therefore  I  shall  not  make  advances 
to  him  and  seem  to  yield  him  the  precedence.  I  shall  await 
him  here." 


FRIENDS  MEET  AGAIN.  143 

"And  I  too,  of  course,"  whispered  Princess  Mary,  lean- 
ing back  with  an  air  of  distinguished  nonchalance.  "  I  think 
it  very  strange  that  my  husband  should  desert  me  to  meet 
the  little  Elector  of  Brandenburg,  and,  as  it  seems,  totally 
forget  me." 

But  her  husband  had  not  forgotten  her,  and  quickly  re- 
turned to  her  side,  and  behind  him,  engaged  in  friendly,  en- 
grossing conversation,  came  the  Princess  Louisa  and  the  Elec- 
tor Frederick  William. 

"  Permit  me,  cousin,"  said  the  Prince  of  Orange  cheer- 
fully— "  permit  me  to  present  to  you  my  wife,  Princess  Mary 
of  England.  And  here  is  my  brother-in-law,  the  Prince  of 
Wales." 

After  a  slight  obeisance  both  young  men  lifted  their 
heads  and  looked  at  each  other  with  glances  singularly  de- 
fiant in  their  expression. 

"Why,  Cousin  Charles!"  exclaimed  Louisa  cheerfully, 
"you  do  not  speak  a  word!  You  are  not  surprised  to  see 
my  dear  cousin,  of  whom  I  have  spoken  to  you  so  often,  al- 
though his  apparition  was  a  little  sudden?  " 

"  I  bid  your  highness  heartily  welcome,"  said  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  in  a  low  tone,  bowing  his  head. 

"  And  I  likewise  bid  your  highness  heartily  welcome," 
responded  the  Elector,  with  his  rich,  full  voice.  "  We  are 
both  guests  on  fair  Holland's  soil,  and  guests  may  welcome 
one  another  after  their  noble  hosts  have  graciously  received 
and  entertained  both." 

"  He  is  proud,"  said  Charles  to  himself;  "  he  would  not 
have  it  seem  as  if  I  could  bid  him  welcome  here.  Oh,  he  is 
proud,  but  I  shall  humble  his  pride!  " 

"  Permit  me  also  to  bid  your  highness  welcome,"  said 
Princess  Mary,  rising  and  offering  the  Elector  her  little  hand. 
"  Yes,  I  bid  you  welcome,  and  you  must  account  me  among 
the  number  of  your  hosts  while  you  are  in  Holland,  for  I 
belong  to  them." 

"  True,"  cried  the  Elector,  "  and  I  esteem  Holland  happy, 
for  not  only  does  she  enjoy  the  glorious,  beautiful  present, 
but  beholds  in  you  her  bright  and  sunny  future." 

As  the  Elector  thus  spoke  with  a  pleasant  smile  and  a 


144  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

glance  full  of  undisguised  admiration,  he  seized  the  Prin- 
cess's hand,  and,  bowing  reverentially,  breathed  a  kiss  upon 
the  tips  of  her  fingers. 

"And  now,  cousin/''  said  Prince  William — "now  since 
the  ceremony  of  introduction  is  over,  and  we  have  convinced 
each  other  that  we  are  all  near  relations  and  good  friends, 
let  us  know  how  the  world  goes  with  you,  and  first  of  all 
whether  we  may  offer  you  our  congratulations." 

"  Congratulations  upon  what,  dear  cousin  ?  " 

"  Why,  I  rather  think  upon  your  approaching  nuptials." 

"  Yes  indeed,  upon  your  marriage,"  chimed  in  Princess 
Mary.  "  Oh,  you  see,  Sir  Elector,  we  are  well  informed  as  to 
your  movements,  and  know  that  you  are  on  your  way  to  be 
married." 

"  I  wish  to  heaven  it  may  be  so,"  replied  the  Elector, 
and  his  eye  wandered  to  Louisa's  face,  but  she  was  not  looking 
at  him.  "Yes,  your  grace  is  right;  I  trust  that  my  mar- 
riage will  be  the  result  of  this  trip,  but  unhappily  I  am  yet 
ignorant  of  the  name  of  my  bride." 

Princess  Louisa  quickly  raised  her  eyes,  and  looked  in- 
quiringly into  the  smiling  countenance  of  the  Elector,  whose 
glance  turned  invariably  upon  her. 

"What  do  you  mean,  cousin,  by  saying  that  you  do  not 
know  the  name  of  your  bride?  "  exclaimed  Prince  William. 

"  Indeed,  I  do  not  know  whether  the  lady  I  am  to  marry 

is  called  Politica  or  Bellona " 

,  "  0  Sir  Elector!  "  cried  Princess  Mary,  "  then  we  know 
better  than  you  yourself.  Your  bride's  name  is  Christina, 
and  they  say  that  not  stern  Dame  Politica  but  the  god  of  love 
has  managed  the  affair  for  you." 

"  Who  is  your  grace's  informant?  " 

"  Why,  my  sweet  sister-in-law,  the  Princess  Louisa,  who 
stands  there  so  demurely,  and  has  not  spoken  a  word  since 
the  Elector  came." 

"Did  you  say  so,  cousin?"  asked  the  Elector,  turning 
to  the  Princess.  "  Did  you  eay  that  I  was  to  marry  Queen 
Christina  of  Sweden?  " 

"  Yes,  cousin,"  she  quietly  answered,  with  simple  candor. 
"I  repeated  what  I  heard  my  father  say  at  table  yesterday 


FRIENDS  MEET  AGAIN.  145 

to  his  minister — that  you  would  call  here  on  your  way  to 
Sweden,  where  your  marriage  was  to  take  place.  This  piece 
of  news  struck  me  as  perfectly  natural,  and  I  was  glad  to  hear 
it,  for  I  know  that  you  have  been  courting  the  young  Queen 
for  the  last  two  years." 

"And  you  were  glad  to  hear  this  piece  of  news?  Well, 
cousin,  I  am  sorry  to  have  to  deny  you  this  pleasure  for  I 
have  no  intention  whatever  of  proceeding  to  Sweden,  and 
there  is  no  longer  any  talk  of  a  union  between  Queen  Christina 
and  myself." 

A  flash  of  light  for  an  instant  brightened  Louisa's  face; 
but  it  was  only  for  an  instant,  and  nobody  perceived  it,  no- 
body— except  the  Elector. 

"  Poor  cousin!  "  said  the  Prince  of  Wales,  in  compassion- 
ate tone,  "  I  pity  your  grace.  It  would  have  been  such  an 
advantageous  match  for  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg  to  marry 
a  Queen  of  Sweden." 

The  Elector  bit  his  lip,  and  indignation  gleamed  in  his 
eye,  but  he  speedily  recovered  his  self-control  and  forced 
himself  to  smile. 

"  If  I  had  esteemed  it  as  such,  your  highness,  I  should 
not  have  declined  its  advantages." 

"Your  grace  declined,  then?"  said  the  Princess  Mary. 
"  It  was  your  grace  who  rejected  the  Queen  and " 

"  Mary,"  interposed  Louisa  quickly,  "  how  can  you  talk 
so,  child  that  you  are?  Why  disturb  ourselves  about  political 
marriages,  and  what  is  it  to  us  whither  our  dear  cousin  goes 
when  he  leaves  Holland?  Let  us  be  glad  that  he  is  here  now, 
and  I  hope,  Cousin  Frederick,  that  your  visit  will  be  a  long 
one." 

"  I  shall  stay,  if  you  wish  it,  Cousin  Louisa,"  said  the 
Elector  courteously. 

"  Ah!  there  the  Elector  says  more  out  of  gallantry  than 
is  justifiable,"  exclaimed  the  Prince  of  Wales  passionately. 
"  Your  grace  just  said  that  you  were  to  be  married,  if  not  to 
the  Queen  of  Sweden,  to  some  other  lady.  Permit  me  to  guess 
the  name  of  your  ladylove!  " 

"  No,  I  shall  be  the  one  to  guess,"  exclaimed  Mary  eagerly. 
"  I  know  the  name  of  your  ladylove." 


146  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  Most  gracious  lady,"  smiled  the  Elector,  "  I  beg  you 
then  to  let  me  hear  it." 

"  Her  name,"  said  the  Princess  slowly,  while  her  laugh- 
ing eyes  glanced  roguishly  at  the  faces  of  all  present — "  her 
name  is — Princess  Ludovicka  Hollandine." 

This  name,  pronounced  so  suddenly,  so  unexpectedly,  pro- 
duced a  different  impression  upon  each.  The  Prince  of  Wales 
broke  out  into  a  loud,  merry  laugh;  Prince  William  started 
and  drew  nearer  his  wife,  softly  whispering  a  few  words  in 
her  ear;  Princess  Louisa's  cheeks  became  deadly  pale,  and, 
as  if  seized  with  a  sudden  faintness,  she  sank  upon  the  marble 
bench.  The  Elector  himself  grew  pale  for  a  moment,  and 
pressed  his  lips  firmly  together. 

"  Good  heavens!  "  said  Mary,  with  a  show  of  astonishment. 
"  I  must  have  said  something  very  bad  to  throw  you  all  into 
such  confusion! " 

"  No,  your  highness,"  replied  the  Elector,  breathing  more 
freely,  "you  said  nothing  bad,  but  something  very  sad,  for 
you  recalled  the  name  of  a  lady  once  dear  to  my  heart,  and 
for  whose  sake  I  have  suffered  much.  It  were  cowardly  in 
me  to  deny  the  memories  of  my  past,  and  I  have  the  courage 
candidly  to  confess  them.  Yes,  your  highness,  Princess  Ludo- 
vicka was  the  mistress  of  my  affections;  yet,  if  I  say  was,  I 
may  add  it  is  not  my  fault  that  she  is  no  longer  so,  and  this 
consciousness  has  served  to  console  me  during  days  when  I 
suffered  for  and — through  her." 

A  pause  ensued.  Suddenly  Princess  Louisa  arose,  and  her 
countenance  was  lighted  up  with  enthusiasm  and  joy.  She 
approached  the  Elector  and  offered  him  her  hand. 

"Cousin,"  she  said,  "I  thank  you,  for  that  was  a  good 
and  worthy  answer,  and  proves  that  you  have  a  strong,  brave 
heart  that  mocks  not  at  past  sufferings  and  hides  not  its 
wounds.  I  think,  though,  that  wounds  borne  on  the  heart 
are  just  as  honorable  as  those  gained  by  warriors  on  the 
battle  field.  Both  prove  that  one  has  fought  and  received 
his  wounds  bravely.  But  now,"  she  continued,  in  lighter, 
more  cheerful  tones,  "  let  me  propose  that  we  return  home." 

"  Agreed!  "  exclaimed  all,  visibly  glad  to  be  freed  from  an 
embarrassing  situation.  Prince  William  offered  his  arm  to 


THE  CHALLENGE.  147 

his  young  wife  and  threaded  with  her  the  labyrinthine  paths 
of  the  Chinese  garden.  The  Elector  approached  the  Prin- 
cess Louisa.  "  Be  pleased  to  accept  my  arm,  cousin,  and " 

"  I  beg  pardon.  Sir  Elector/'  said  the  sharp,  cutting 
voice  of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  close  to  his  ear — "  I  beg  pardon." 
He  stepped  in  front  of  the  Elector,  and  offered  the  Princess 
his  arm.  "  Remember  our  wager,"  he  whispered  softly.  The 
Princess  reluctantly  laid  her  hand  on  the  Prince's  arm,  but 
at  the  same  time  turned  her  face  toward  the  Elector,  who 
had  stepped  back,  pale  and  in  evident  indignation. 

"  I  beg  you,"  she  said  softly,  "  to  walk  on  my  right  side, 
that  we  may  all  three  go  together." 

The  Elector  declined  with  a  bow.  "  I  would  only  disturb 
your  graces,"  he  said  proudly.  "  A  third  is  always  an  intruder. 
Permit  me  to  follow  you." 

The  Princess's  hand  trembled  on  the  arm  of  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  but  he  held  her  fast,  and  once  more  whispered,  "  Re- 
member our  wager  and  your  pledged  word." 

Princess  Louisa  said  no  more,  and  proceeded,  still  holding 
the  Prince's  arm.  The  Elector  followed  in  moody  silence. 


V. — THE  CHALLENGE. 

"  WELL,  dear  nephew,"  said  the  Princess  Amelia  the  next 
morning,  as  the  Elector  entered  her  apartment,  "  be  kind 
enough  to  acquaint  me  with  the  events  of  yesterday.  In  the 
first  place,  how  did  Louisa  receive  you  ?  " 

"  With  gracious  affability,  aunt,"  replied  the  Elector.  "  I 
derived  the  happiest  auguries  from  the  warmth  of  her  first 
greeting,  but  alas!  I  was  soon  made  to  feel  that  I  was  labor- 
ing under  a  delusion." 

"How  so?   What  can  have  happened  ?" 

"When  they  prepared  to  return  to  the  palace,  I  offered 
my  arm  to  the  Princess,  but,  the  Prince  of  Wales  stepping 
up  at  this  moment  and  offering  his  arm,  she  left  me  standing 
and  accepted  him  as  her  escort." 


148  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  No  good  sign,  indeed,"  sighed  Princess  Amelia.  "  And 
how  was  it  during  the  walk.  You  at  least  talked  a  great  deal 
to  her,  did  you  not?  " 

"  Very  little,  gracious  lady.  The  Prince  of  Wales  occu- 
pied the  field,  and  wholly  engrossed  the  conversation.  It 
must  be  acknowledged,  too,  that  he  has  a  right  voluble  tongue 
and  a  full  flow  of  breath.  I  could  not  compete  with  him, 
and  therefore  kept  silence." 

"And  were  sullen  and  peevish  of  course!  And  that  is 
what  you  call  seeking  a  woman's  love!  Do  you  not  see  that 
Louisa  could  not  act  differently?  You  have  been  absent  so 
many  years,  and  paid  your  addresses  to  so  many  other  ladies, 
that  you  could  not  expect  her  to  greet  your  tardy  arrival  by 
open  demonstrations  of  favor.  You  must  make  up  your  mind 
to  submit  to  a  little  teasing,  for  even  if  she  prefers  you  to  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  she  would  not  willingly  betray  her  feelings 
so  prematurely." 

"  I  could  not  have  believed  that  the  Princess  Louisa  Hen- 
rietta would  play  the  coquette,"  said  the  Elector  thoughtfully, 
in  an  undertone. 

"  All  we  women  are  a  little  coquettish,  and  must  be  so," 
replied  the  Princess,  smiling.  "  But  hark,  nephew!  I  have 
some  good  news  for  you.  Queen  Henrietta  of  England  was 
here  yesterday  evening,  and  we  held  a  long  conference  with 
her.  She  has  received  a  most  melancholy  message  from  her 
husband  in  England.  The  Scots  have  betrayed  the  unhappy 
King  into  the  hands  of  Parliament,  and  he  is  now  a  prisoner 
in  some  isolated  castle.  The  Queen  is  to  proceed  to  France 
without  delay,  in  order  to  solicit  there  subsidies  of  money 
and  troops.  We  can  not  think  of  objecting  to  her  depart- 
ure, and  it  is  therefore  determined  that  day  after  to-mor- 
row she  with  her  whole  family  will  leave  The  Hague  on  their 
way  to  France.  Now,  nephew,  what  say  you  to  this  good 
news?" 

"  I  know  not  in  what  respect  you  esteem  this  good  news, 
gracious  lady.  I  see  plainly  that  the  Stadtholder  could  not 
detain  the  Queen,  and  that  the  States-General  could  not  under 
present  circumstances  incur  the  risk  of  war  with  England; 
but  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  I  pity  the  poor  Queen 


THE  CHALLENGE.  149 

and  her  husband,  for  I  do  not  believe  that  she  will  obtain 
the  desired  aid  from  France." 

"  Good  heavens!  dear  nephew,  just  for  once  lose  sight  of 
politics,  and  consider  this  affair  from  a  personal  point  of 
view.  I  tell  you,  the  Queen  with  her  family  leaves  The  Hague 
for  France.  That  is  to  say,  the  Prince  of  Wales  accompanies 
his  mother,  and  therefore  day  after  to-morrow  you  will  be 
rid  of  a  troublesome  rival." 

"  And  your  grace  actually  supposes  that  I  would  have 
greater  hope  of  winning  the  Princess's  favor  if  the  Prince  of 
Wales  were  no  longer  present?  But  I  confess  that  it  would 
be  rather  a  humiliating  thought  to  me  to  feel  that  I  was  mere- 
ly preferred  because  my  rival  had  been  forced  by  fate  to  vacate 
the  field.  I  would  owe  such  preference  only  to  the  free,  un- 
biassed will  of  the  Princess;  and  if  she  laments  the  departure 
of  the  Prince  of  Wales,  I  must  say  that  I  sincerely  lament  it 
with  her." 

"I  have  not  heard  that  my  daughter  does  lament  it," 
said  Princess  Amelia,  shrugging  her  shoulders. 

"  She  knows,  then,  of  the  Prince's  projected  journey?  " 

"  Yes,  for  she  was  present  yesterday  evening  at  the  family 
conference,  and  has  already  been  into  my  cabinet  this  morn- 
ing to  beg  me  to  gratify  her  brother's  wishes  and  urge  Queen 
Henrietta  not  to  take  her  daughter  Mary  to  France  with  her, 
but  to  leave  her  behind  with  us." 

"What,  did  she  think  of  taking  the  Princess  Mary, 
Prince  William's  wife,  to  France?"  asked  the  Elector,  much 
astonished. 

"  She  goes  to  France,"  rejoined  the  Princess  in  a  severe 
tone.  "  Her  place  is  at  her  mother's  side,  and  not  until  she 
has  completed  her  sixteenth  year  shall  she  return  here  as  the 
wife  of  the  Prince  of  Orange.  So  ran  the  marriage  contract, 
and  we  are  firmly  determined  to  abide  by  it.  You  are  a  far- 
sighted  politician,  nephew,  and  if  you  could  have  observed 
the  Princess  and  her  young  husband  a  little  longer,  you 
would  have  seen  that  the  welfare  of  the  Prince  and  our  coun- 
try necessitated  this  measure." 

"  I  believe  that  I  already  know  the  state  of  the  case," 
said  the  Elector,  smiling.  "Your  grace  with  reason  dreads 


150  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

to  see  reacted  the  old  fable  of  Hercules  and  the  fair  Om- 
phale." 

"  I  am  not  surprised  at  this  evidence  of  your  quick  dis- 
cernment," smiled  the  Princess.  "  But  the  young  people, 
alas!  consider  this  measure  as  unreasonable  and  tyrannical, 
and  consequently,  since  yesterday  evening,  the  younger  mem- 
bers of  our  family  have  been  totally  out  of  tune.  Therefore 
we  had  to  excuse  ourselves  last  evening,  for  nothing  was  to 
be  seen  but  weeping  eyes  and  mournful  countenances.  But 
I  beg  you  to  counsel  the  young  people  to  listen  to  reason,  and 
especially  to  try  and  convince  my  son  that  this  short  sepa- 
ration is  for  his  good." 

"  But,  most  gracious  aunt,  he  loves  his  young  wife,  and 
love  seldom  listens  to  reason.  Meanwhile,  since  such  are  your 
grace's  commands,  I  will  endeavor  to  call  the  Prince's  atten- 
tion to  some  grounds  for  consolation,  although  I  am  con- 
vinced that  these  grounds  will  be  equally  unwelcome  with 
the  consoler." 

The  Elector  took  his  leave  of  Princess  Amelia  and  re- 
paired to  Prince  William's  apartments.  The  valet  de  chambre 
stood  in  the  antechamber,  and  with  an  expression  of  painful 
regret  announced  that  his  highness  was  suffering  dreadfully 
from  toothache,  and  had  given  strict  orders  to  admit  no  one, 
as  he  preferred  to  suffer  in  solitude.  Just  as  he  made  this 
assertion,  the  sound  of  loud  and  violent  talking  was  heard 
within  the  Prince's  chamber. 

"  The  Prince  is  not  alone,"  said  the  Elector,  smiling,  "  for 
methinks  I  hear  talking  in  his  room." 

"  Most  gracious  highness,  it  is  the  Prince  talking  to  him- 
self," said  the  valet  with  respectful  earnestness.  "  His  grace 
always  does  so  when  he  has  the  toothache." 

The  Elector  left  the  antechamber  and  descended  into 
the  park.  The  lovely  repose  and  sweet  tranquillity  of  nature 
here  surrounding  him  did  him  good  by  refreshing  his  spirit, 
and  he  gave  himself  up  to  them  with  a  feeling  of  infinite  de- 
light. Slowly  he  went  down  the  broad  avenue,  and  now  turned 
off  into  the  shady  side  path,  which  he  traversed,  absorbed 
in  thought.  All  at  once  he  paused  and  looked  around.  It 
seemed  to  him  that  quite  close  to  him  he  heard  the  Princess 


THE  CHALLENGE.  151 

Louisa's  soft  and  melodious  voice.  And  he  was  not  mistaken! 
There  she  came,  emerging  from  the  shrubbery  arm  in  arm 
with  her  young  sister-in-law  Mary,  and  both  so  absorbed  in 
their  whispered  conversation  that  they  did  not  perceive  the 
Elector,  who  had  stepped  aside,  although  they  were  coming 
up  the  very  path  in  which  he  stood.  This  was  the  first  time 
that  he  had  been  able  quietly  to  observe  the  Princess,  and  with 
a  painfully  sweet  feeling  he  gazed  upon  her  noble,  slender 
form  and  lovely,  interesting  face.  He  inwardly  exclaimed: 
"  There  I  might  have  found  a  mother  for  my  people,  a  wife 
for  my  heart!  Why  have  I  come  so  late?  Why  did  I  wait 
until  another  came  and  won  the  love  which  might  yet  make 
me  so  happy?  How  sad  she  looks!  She  is  naturally  grieving, 
because  Prince  Charles  must  leave  her.  Why  should  I  care 
whether  she  is  sad  or  not?  "  And  with  defiant  though  melan- 
choly air,  the  Elector  advanced  and  saluted  the  ladies,  who 
were  now  quite  near  him.  A  beautiful  blush  mantled 
Louisa's  cheeks,  and  involuntarily  she  offered  the  Elector  her 
hand. 

"  Good-morning,  Cousin  Frederick,"  she  said.  "  It  is 
handsome  of  you  to  come  to  meet  us." 

"  What  makes  you  think  that  the  Elector  has  come  to  meet 
us?  "  asked  Mary  pettishly.  "  His  highness  could  not  possibly 
have  known  that  we  came  this  way." 

"  True,"  replied  Louisa,  blushing,  "  to  be  sure,  you  could 
not  have  known  it,  cousin." 

"  Yet  I  intended  to  visit  the  ladies,  for  I  wished  to  do  my- 
self the  pleasure  of  paying  my  respects  to  them  at  Bosch." 

"  Go  then,  Sir  Elector,"  said  Princess  Mary  hastily.  "  My 
mother  is  at  home,  and  will  be  rejoiced  to  receive  a  visit  from 
your  highness.  Farewell  then,  Sir  Elector,  we  must  hurry; 
they  are  waiting  for  us.  Come  now,  Louisa.  You  well  know 
that  we  have  no  time  to  lose." 

She  drew  the  Princess  forward,  and  Louisa  followed  her 
without  resistance,  silent  and  perplexed.  But  before  they 
had  gone  more  than  a  little  way  she  stood  still. 

"  Just  wait  one  moment,  Mary,"  she  said  hurriedly.  "  I 
want  to  say  one  word  to  the  Elector,  and  will  rejoin  you 
directly."  And  ere  Princess  Mary  had  time  to  offer  any  opposi- 


152  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

tion,  Louisa  had  dropped  her  arm  and  turned  swiftly  around, 
crying,  "  Elector,  allow  me  one  word  more!  " 

But  she  need  not  have  raised  her  voice  to  call,  for  the 
Elector  had  stood  still,  looking  after  them.  When  he  saw 
Louisa  turn  around  he  hastened  to  meet  her,  and  now  stood 
close  in  front  of  her. 

"Did  you  call  me,  cousin?"  he  asked,  and  his  looks  ex- 
pressed so  much  ardor  of  feeling  that  Louisa,  quite  abashed, 
cast  down  her  eyes. 

"  Yes,  cousin,"  she  softly  answered,  "  I  called  you,  for 
I  thought- 

"  Well?"  asked  the  Elector,  smiling  as  she  still  hesitated, 
"  what  did  your  highness  think,  or,  rather,  what  will  you  have 
the  goodness  to  let  me  know  of  your  thoughts?  " 

"  I  thought  that  you  were  a  little  displeased  with  me 
yesterday." 

"  Did  you  indeed  think  that,  Fraulein?  Then  I  suppose 
I  was  in  your  opinion  justified  in  being  displeased?  " 

"  Yes,  cousin,"  she  said  bravely,  "  you  have  a  cause  for  dis- 
pleasure, and  I  beg  your  pardon  for  it.  You  offered  me  your 
arm,  which  I  declined,  at  the  same  time  accepting  the  arm 
of  the  Prince  of  Wales.  But  I  was  only  paying  a  wager  won 
from  me  by  Prince  Charles.  I  had  bound  myself  by  promise 
to  give  him  my  arm  during  the  whole  walk,  and  not  to  tell 
any  one  that  I  granted  him  this  favor  merely  in  payment  of 
a  lost  wager.  That  was  the  reason,  cousin,  why  I  had  to  de- 
cline your  arm  yesterday." 

"  Louisa,  Louisa!  "  impatiently  exclaimed  Princess  Mary, 
"  do  you  not  know  that  we  must  make  haste?  " 

"  I  am  coming!  I  am  coming!  Farewell,  Elector,  please 
do  not  be  angry  with  me  again  to-day!  " 

She  softly  whispered  these  words,  nodded  to  him,  turned 
round,  and  with  the  fleet-footedness  of  a  young  antelope  flew 
along  the  walk.  And  again  the  Elector  stood  a  long  time 
looking  after  her;  and,  as  a  bend  of  the  path  concealed  her 
slender  form  from  view,  he  sighed  deeply. 

"  Fool  that  I  was  to  come  so  late;  she  might  have  loved 
me,  if  another  had  not  preceded  me.  Her  eyes  have  the  same 
childlike  innocence  of  expression  as  when  I  parted  from  her 


THE  CHALLENGE.  153 

years  ago.  Why  does  the  remembrance  of  that  hour  now  re- 
vive in  me  for  the  first  time,  after  so  long  slumbering  in  the 
recesses  of  my  heart — why  does  it  awake  now  and  with  sweet 
voice  sing  a  pious  song  of  the  past?  Just  as  the  maiden  of 
to-day,  so  the  child  once  looked  upon  me  as  she  gave  me  her 
hand  when  I  bade  her  good-by,  and  said,  '  Be  a  good  man! ' 
Oh,  you  sweet,  innocent  child,  it  is  so  hard  to  be  a  good  man 
in  this  world.  You  should  stand  at  my  side,  with  your  large, 
childlike  eyes  and  sweet  smile,  and  help  me  to  become  so!  If 
I  saw  the  world  mirrored  in  your  eyes,  I  might  fancy  it  pure 
and  spotless  as  yourself,  and  cherish  an  ardent  desire  to  be 
led  back  by  you  to  the  paradise  of  innocence,  your  native 
home!  Then  she  crowned  me  with  a  wreath  of  sweet-scented 
flowers,  which  she  had  destined  for  her  favorite  cow,  and  she 
did  so  with  such  angelic  grace  that  I  actually  felt  proud  of  the 
preference  shown  me,  a  poor  child  of  man,  over  her  beautiful 
brown  cow!  I  should  like  to  know  if  the  pretty  creature  is 
still  alive,  and  whether  Louisa  sometimes  looks  at  her,  and 
especially  if  she  retains  her  taste  for  household  affairs  and 
fondness  for  country  life,  or  if,  like  all  the  rest,  she  feels  her- 
self exalted  above  domestic  duties,  because  she  is  a  Princess! 
I  should  also  like  to  know  whether  she  prays  as  innocently 
and  piously  as  when,  haunted  by  evil  spirits,  she  fled  for  refuge 
to  her  Cousin  Ludovicka.  Poor  child!  how  you  trembled, 
and  how  your  little  heart  throbbed  for  anguish,  and  she  drove 
you  away — cruel  Ludovicka  drove  you  away,  because  her  lover 
stood  behind  the  curtain.  And  I  was  the  lover,  and,  cruel  as 
she,  I  allowed  her  to  drive  you  back  to  your  lonely  chamber. 
You  went  and  prayed;  the  evil  spirits  stood  aloof  from  you, 

but  they  had  power  over  me  and Oh,  ye  sad,  bitter 

memories!  why  will  ye  revive  within,  making  me  so  sad  and 
melancholy,  and  causing  the  old  wounds  of  my  heart  to  bleed 
afresh?" 

How  long  he  continued  to  move  through  the  shady  paths 
of  the  park,  wrapt  in  his  own  thoughts  and  visions  of  the  past, 
he  knew  not  himself;  he  only  knew  that  solitude  and  quiet 
did  him  good,  that  it  refreshed  him  to  listen  to  the  whisper- 
ings of  his  own  soul,  and  once  more  to  feel  something  of  the 
enthusiasm,  the  painful  longing  and  the  joyous  disquiet  of  an 


154  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

enamored  young  man.  Yes,  he  could  no  longer  deny  it  to 
himself,  he  was  in  love  with  the  Princess  Louisa.  She  had 
fascinated  him  with  her  amiability  and  grace,  with  her  lovely 
composed  and  gentle  countenance,  with  her  noble,  maidenly 
appearance,  and  her  large  blue  eyes,  at  once  so  innocent  and 
so  intelligent.  Yes,  he  was  in  love!  For  the  first  time,  after 
long,  long  years,  his  heart  was  again  awake,  and  the  Elector, 
usually  so  given  up  to  politics  and  Government  affairs,  was 
suddenly  changed  into  a  young  man,  whose  every  thought 
centered  upon  the  woman  of  his  choice,  who  was  ever  present 
to  his  imagination  in  all  the  charms  of  her  loveliness.  And 
was  it  actually  impossible  to  win  her?  Had  he  really  come  too 
late? — had  another  won  her  heart?  With  what  a  radiant 
countenance  had  she  hastened  to  meet  him  on  his  first  appear- 
ance— how  cordially  had  she  welcomed  him!  Then  why  had 
she  said  to-day  that  she  only  gave  her  arm  to  the  Prince  of 
Wales  yesterday  in  consequence  of  a  wager — why  should  she 
care  for  him  to  know  that  if  not 

"  Well,  I  have  found  your  grace  at  last,"  exclaimed  a  loud 
laughing  voice  behind  him.  "  Here,  then,  the  Elector  of 
Brandenburg  must  be  sought,  in  the  deepest  recesses  of  the 
park." 

"  And  why  does  the  Prince  of  Wales  condescend  to  look 
for  me?  "  asked  the  Elector,  turning  quickly  around  and  look- 
ing into  the  Prince's  laughing  face  with  an  air  of  considerable 
annoyance. 

"  Princess  Amelia  commissioned  Prince  William  and  my- 
self to  look  for  your  grace  and  request  you  to  join  her  hus- 
band while  he  takes  his  airing,  for  to-day  Prince  Frederick 
Henry  feels  quite  well,  and  cherishes  a  lively  desire  to  be 
with  your  grace.  I  esteem  myself  fortunate  in  being  made 
the  bearer  of  this  message." 

"  I  return  to  your  highness  my  most  humble  acknowledg- 
ments, and  hasten  to  repair  to  the  palace." 

"  I  beg  your  highness  not  to  make  such  haste,"  said  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  laying  his  hand  on  the  Elector's  arm  and 
detaining  him.  "  Since  fortune  has  favored  me  I  would  profit 
by  this  opportunity  to  ask  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg  a  ques- 
tion. Elector,  will  you  permit  me  to  put  a  question  to  you?  " 


THE  CHALLENGE.  155 

"  Prince  of  Wales,  I  shall  be  glad  if  I  can  answer  it  to  your 
satisfaction." 

"  I  thank  your  highness.  Allow  me  to  ask  then:  Have 
you  come,  as  they  say,  simply  for  a  political  conference  or  to 
ask  the  hand  of  Princess  Louisa  Henrietta?  " 

"  How  can  this  interest  your  grace  ?  What  is  it  to  you 
whether  I  came  here  for  the  furtherance  of  political  ends  or 
to  be  married?" 

"  Sir  Elector,  you  reply  by  questioning  me!  But  you 
promised  to  answer  me,  and  I  beg  you  so  to  do." 

"  Well  then,  your  highness,"  said  the  Elector,  after  short 
reflection,  fixing  his  eyes  upon  the  Prince's  face  with  an  ex- 
pression of  defiance,  "  I  will  answer  you,  and  acknowledge 
the  whole  truth  to  you.  Yes,  I  have  come  to  ask  the  hand  of 
Princess  Louisa  Henrietta." 

"I  fancy  that  you  have  met  with  but  little  encourage- 
ment! "  cried  the  Prince  scornfully. 

"  Why  should  your  highness  fancy  any  such  thing?  "  asked 
the  Elector  proudly;  "  and  if  I  may  be  permitted  to  ask,  how 
can  my  purpose  of  marrying  my  cousin,  the  Princess  of 
Orange,  concern  the  Prince  of  Wales?  " 

"  Sir  Elector,  the  Princess  is  my  cousin  as  well." 

"  No  excuse,  your  highness,  for  meddling  in  our  personal 
affairs." 

"  Our!  "  cried  the  Prince  passionately.  "  Do  you  already 
confound  your  affairs  with  those  of  the  Princess?  I  claim  the 
right  of  protesting  against  it,  Sir  Elector,  for  /  love  Princess 
Louisa  Henrietta! " 

As  he  thus  spoke  he  proudly  threw  back  his  head,  and  a 
ray  of  deep  feeling  and  noble  fire  flashed  forth  upon  his  fea- 
tures, enhancing  the  beauty  of  his  handsome,  spirited  face. 
The  Elector  saw  it,  and  it  provoked  him,  for  he  felt  that  this 
face  was  capable  of  exerting  a  magical  influence  over  a 
woman's  heart. 

"  Ah!  your  highness  loves  Princess  Louisa,  but  what  of 
that?" 

"  What  of  that,  sir?  I  should  think,  sir,  the  circumstance 
of  my  owning  it  to  you  would  force  you  to  draw  an  infer- 
ence." 


156  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  Pardon  me,  sir,  I  draw  no  necessary  inference." 

"  Sir,  the  princes  of  my  house  are  not  accustomed  to  love, 
without  the  certainty  of  a  return  of  affection.  When  I  owned 
to  you  that  I  loved  the  Princess,  you  should  have  understood, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  that  the  Princess  reciprocated  my  love, 
and  then,  I  think,  your  knightly  honor  would  have  pledged 
you  to  forbear  a  further  prosecution  of  your  suit." 

"  Excuse  me,  your  highness.  Perhaps  the  house  of  Stuart 
entertains  different  ideas  of  knightly  honor  than  are  preva- 
lent among  us  in  Germany.  So  long  as  a  lady  is  free  and  un- 
engaged, any  gentleman  feels  privileged  to  woo  her." 

"  But,  Sir  Elector,  I  told  you,  that  I  had  the  good  fortune 
to  be  loved  by  the  Princess.  How  can  you  think  of  seeking 
her  love  when  I  tell  you  that  it  belongs  to  me!  " 

"  I  beg  your  highness's  pardon,  I  can  not  admit  such  a 
claim." 

"  That  is  to  say  your  highness  does  not  believe  that  the 
Princess  loves  me?"  asked  the  Prince,  in  angry,  threatening 
tones. 

The  Elector  smiled  and  looked  with  perfect  composure 
into  his  flushed,  excited  countenance. 

"  Well,  if  your  highness  insists  upon  knowing  my  inmost 
thoughts,  I  will  not  withhold  them.  No,  I  do  not  believe  that 
the  Princess  Louisa  loves  you — loves  you  so  as  to  accept  you 
for  her  husband." 

"You  do  not  believe  it!  I  should  like  to  know  by  what 
right  you  dare  to  doubt  what  I  affirm?  " 

"  By  the  right  of  reason,  your  highness.  It  would,  par- 
don me — it  would  not  be  reasonable  if  the  Princess,  who  has 
already  completed  her  nineteenth  year,  should  think  of  marry- 
ing a  Prince  who  is  in  years  still  a  boy." 

The  Prince  of  Wales  uttered  a  shriek,  and  a  deadly  pal- 
lor overspread  his  cheeks.  "  Sir  Elector! "  he  cried,  in  a 
voice  trembling  with  rage — "  Sir  Elector,  would  you  insult 
me?" 

"  By  no  means!  I  only  express  my  opinion,  and  must  ad- 
here to  it:  a  Princess  of  nineteen  will  hardly  think  of  marry- 
ing a  lad  of  sixteen,  even  though  he  be  well  grown  and  of  pre- 
cocious intellect.  But  now,  allow  me  to  repair  to  the  palace, 


THE  CHALLENGE.  157 

for  you  yourself  were  pleased  to  tell  me  that  I  was  expected 
there." 

The  Elector  bowed  with  a  cold  smile,  and,  turning  around, 
hurried  up  the  avenue.  For  one  moment  the  Prince  stood 
irresolute,  as  if  stunned  by  this  dreadful  blow  hurled  at  once 
against  his  vanity  and  his  heart.  Then  he  bounded  forward 
in  wild  pursuit. 

"  Sir  Elector! "  he  cried,  when  he  had  overtaken  him — 
"  Sir  Elector,  one  word  more!  " 

"  What  is  the  pleasure  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  ?  "  asked  the 
Elector,  standing  still  and  turning  his  noble  countenance 
upon  the  Prince. 

For  the  second  time  since  they  had  known  each  other  their 
eyes  met,  and  exchanged  fierce,  menacing  glances. 

"  Did  you  not  dare  to  doubt  that  the  Princess  Louisa  loves 
me?"  asked  the  Prince,  in  a  voice  hollow  and  choked  by 
passion. 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  doubt  it,  and  have  explained  to  you  my  grounds 
for  so  doing." 

"  Will  you  believe  me  if  I  give  you  proofs  that  the  Prin- 
cess loves  me  ?  " 

"Proofs?"  asked  the  Elector,  a  little  surprised  and  hesi- 
tating. 

"  Yes,  proofs,"  repeated  the  Prince.  "  For  example,  would 
you  esteem  it  satisfactory  proof  if  you  should  see  the  Prin- 
cess Louisa  come  to  a  rendezvous  of  my  appointment  ?  " 

"  Sir,  if  the  Princess  were  to  do  such  a  thing  as  that  I 
should  leave  The  Hague  early  to-morrow  morning  and 
abandon  my  suit  for  ever." 

An  expression  of  triumph  flitted  across  the  Prince's  coun- 
tenance. "  You  have  forced  me  to  make  you  the  confidant 
of  my  sweetest  secret,"  he  said.  "  Give  me  your  princely  word 
that  you  will  betray  it  to  no  one,  and  you  will  see  that  the 
Princess  will  accept  my  invitation." 

"  I  give  you  my  princely  word,"  replied  the  Elector  sol- 
emnly. 

"  Very  well,  sir,  I  trust  to  your  word,  and  the  secret  of  our 
love  rests  securely  in  your  breast.  Be  pleased  now  to  fix  the 
place  of  meeting,  and  I  shall  notify  the  Princess." 


158  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  Then  let  it  be  here,  in  the  park.  At  the  Chinese  Pavilion, 
where  I  first  saw  her." 

"  At  what  hour?  Will  not  your  highness  have  the  good- 
ness to  name  the  hour?  " 

"  Five  o'clock,  then,  if  you  have  no  objection." 

"  Five  o'clock!  Allow  me  to  remark  that  that  is  rather 
early,  and  that  daylight  is  not  favorable  to  an  interview  be- 
tween lovers,  because  it  makes  it  too  public." 

"  Well,  let  us  take  a  later  hour! "  cried  the  Elector. 
"  Seven  o'clock  in  the  evening  then?  " 

"  Seven  o'clock  will  do.  You  will  not  object,  though,  to 
my  escorting  the  Princess  there.  The  pavilion  is  quite  a  long 
way  off,  and  the  Princess  does  not  like  to  walk  through  the 
park  alone  at  so  late  an  hour.  I  know  that  from  experience. 
Therefore,  at  seven  o'clock  Princess  Louisa  and  I  will  come 
to  the  Chinese  Pavilion,  and  if  you  will  take  the  trouble  to 
station  yourself  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  you  shall  see 
us  enter  the  pavilion  together." 

"  I  shall  be  punctually  on  the  spot! "  cried  the  Elector. 
"  But  one  stipulation  I  must  make.  I  said  that  if  I  saw  the 
Princess  repair  to  a  rendezvous  of  your  appointment,  I  would 
leave  The  Hague  early  the  next  morning." 

"  Yes.  your  highness  said  so." 

"And  I  now  retract  my  word,  in  so  far  as  that  I  insist 
upon  first  having  an  interview  with  you,  Sir  Prince  of  Wales. 
In  the  boldness  and  presumption  of  your  spirit  you  insulted 
me  the  other  day  by  speaking  words  of  unwarrantable  in- 
solence. You  think,  then,  Sir  Prince,  that  it  would  be  a  most 
advantageous  match  on  my  side  to  marry  a  Queen  of  Sweden. 
I  shall  not  leave  The  Hague  until  you  have  proved  to  me, 
sword  in  hand,  that  you  are  qualified  to  give  an  opinion  upon 
the  interests  of  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg." 

"  I  actually  believe  you  do  me  the  honor  to  challenge  me 
to  fight  a  duel!  "  said  the  Prince  of  Wales.  "  Lo!  the  Elec- 
tor of  Brandenburg  has  now  the  goodness  to  treat  me  as  a  man 
of  whom  satisfaction  may  be  demanded  sword  in  hand.  Your 
views  have  changed  suddenly,  and  I  have  grown  rapidly  old 
in  your  eyes.  Have  I  rightly  understood  you,  sir,  is  this  a 
challenge?" 


THE  CHALLENGE.  159 

"  Yes,  it  is  a  challenge,"  cried  the  Elector,  his  voice  tremu- 
lous with  passion.  "  At  seven  o'clock  this  evening  I  shall 
await  you  and  the  Princess  at  the  Chinese  Pavilion.  But 
edrly  to-morrow  morning,  at  the  same  place  and  the  same 
hour,  I  shall  expect  you  alone  and  armed,  to  make  good  your 
assertion  that  it  would  be  so  much  to  my  advantage  to  marry 
the  Queen  of  Sweden." 

"  I  accept,  but  beseech  you  not  to  forget  that  you  have 
given  me  your  word  to  keep  our  secret,  and  betray  it  to  no  one, 
not  even  the  Princess  herself.  You  will  therefore  keep  per- 
fectly quiet,  when  you  have  seen  us  enter  the  pavilion?  " 

"  Be  without  uneasiness,  sir;  I  shall  keep  my  word.  To- 
morrow morning,  then,  early,  at  seven  o'clock." 

"  At  seven  o'clock.  What  weapon  does  your  highness 
select?  " 

"  Whichever  you  prefer  and  use  most  skillfully." 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  indifference  to  me,  for  I  am  practiced 
in  all.  But  in  this  case  I  prefer  the  dagger,  for  it  makes  least 
noise;  and  for  the  Princess's  sake,  I  would  naturally  like  to 
keep  our  duel  as  secret  as  the  rendezvous." 

"  Let  us  use  daggers,  then.  Early  to-morrow  morning, 
without  seconds,  at  the  Chinese  Pavilion,  provided  that " 

"  That  Princess  Louisa  comes  this  evening  at  seven  o'clock, 
would  you  say?  Let  your  mind  be  relieved  of  all  uneasiness, 
your  highness;  both  rendezvous  shall  take  place." 

"  Good,  and  now,  as  we  have  nothing  more  to  say  to  each 
other,  I  take  my  leave." 

The  Elector  turned  his  back  upon  the  Prince  without 
deigning  to  bestow  upon  him  a  parting  salutation,  and,  with 
head  haughtily  erect,  strode  swiftly  up  the  avenue. 

Prince  Charles  looked  after  him  with  smiling  countenance 
and  beaming  eyes.  "  Which  of  us  is  the  greater  child  now?  " 
he  asked  scornfully  of  himself.  "Is  it  not  childish  to  call 
me  out  to  fight  a  duel  on  account  of  a  rendezvous?  Oh,  that 
rendezvous!  First  of  all,  I  must  contrive  some  way  of  bring- 
ing it  about,  and  that,  I  fear,  will  cost  some  trouble  and  per- 
plexity. Yet  already  I  have  a  glimmering  idea  of  a  way  by 
which  I  can  contrive  to  effect  my  scheme.  I  have  in  contem- 
plation a  little  comedy  of  errors,  whose  conception  Shakes- 


1(50  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

peare  himself  might  envy  me.  What  saidst  thou  Shakespeare? 
Yes,  thou  art  right.  I  will  venture  all,  for  I  love  thee,  Louisa, 
and — I  hate  that  proud,  supercilious  Elector,  coming  here 
with  Caesar's  assumption:  Veni,  vidi,  vici! " 


VI. — THE  ELOPEMENT. 

"  You  have  come  at  last,  Charles.  My  heavens!  how  long 
you  have  kept  me  waiting! "  exclaimed  Prince  William  of 
Orange  to  his  young  brother-in-law,  as  toward  noon  of  the 
same  day  that  young  gentleman  entered  his  chamber.  "  I 
thought  you  had  totally  forgotten  me  and  left  me  in  the  lurch. 
Good  heavens,  Charles!  how  can  anybody  be  so  slow  and  hard- 
hearted! " 

"  Say  rather,  dear  brother,  how  can  anybody  be  so  much 
in  love  and  so  impatient.  As  if  the  whole  world  turned  upon 
your  love,  and  as  if  we  other  poor  mortals  had  nothing  else 
to  do  but  to  fly  upon  your  errands." 

"Just  tell  me  this;  have  you  seen  Mary?  Did  you  give 
her  my  letter?  Does  she  consent?  " 

"I  saw  her.  I  gave  her  your  letter.  But  before  I  an- 
swer your  third  question  I  must  learn  what  you  have  been 
doing  meanwhile.  Have  you  been  with  your  father?  Did 
you  openly  avow  to  him  your  ardent  desire  to  live  with  your 
young  wife  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  with  my  father,  but  I  found  my  mother 
there,  and  the  very  instant  I  broached  this  subject  she  com- 
manded silence,  for  the  physicians  had  strictly  forbidden  the 
introduction  of  exciting  topics." 

"  She  is  naturally  a  most  tender  and  conscientious  nurse," 
said  Prince  Charles,  shrugging  his  shoulders,  "  for  every  day 
of  your  father's  life  prolongs  by  so  much  her  term  of  su- 
premacy and  influence.  But  did  you  not  attempt  to  melt  your 
mother's  stony  heart?  " 

"  I  did.  I  besought  her  to  grant  me  an  audience.  I  con- 
fessed to  her  my  boundless  love  for  Mary,  telling  her  that 


THE  ELOPEMENT.  161 

I  could  not  survive  separation  from  her,  that  I  would  be  lost, 
miserable,  comfortless,  if  she  did  not  revoke  her  cruel  de- 
cision. All  was  in  vain.  '  Men  do  not  die  of  broken  hearts/ 
said  my  mother,  and  when  I  swore  in  desperation  to  go  with 
Mary  to  France,  she  smiled  and  said  she  would  take  care  to 
prevent  that.  If  I  did  not  behave  myself  in  a  rational  man- 
ner, she  would  deal  with  me  as  I  deserved:  confine  me  to  my 
room,  and  place  two  sentinels  before  the  door  until  the  Prin- 
cess had  fairly  set  off." 

"  And  she  is  the  woman  to  execute  such  a  threat!  "  said 
Prince  Charles,  laughing. 

"  To  be  sure  she  is,  my  friend.  I  needed  only  to  look  in 
her  flashing  eyes  and  her  energetic  face  to  feel  convinced  of 
that.  Yes,  she  would  have  locked  me  up  like  a  disobedient 
boy,  and  our  whole  plan  would  have  come  to  nought.  I  re- 
flected upon  this,  and  therefore  seemed  finally  to  acquiesce 
in  the  cogency  of  my  mother's  reasoning,  and  consented  that 
the  Princess  Mary  should  accompany  her  mother  to  France, 
there  to  remain  until  the  term  shall  have  fully  expired,  when 
our  marriage  will  be  consummated  according  to  the  marriage 
compact.  Now  you  know  all:  answer  my  question:  does  Mary 
consent  to  elope  with  me?  " 

"  Yes,  she  consents." 

Prince  William  cried  aloud  for  joy,  with  passionate  ten- 
derness flung  both  arms  around  his  brother-in-law's  neck,  and 
stormily  pressed  him  to  his  heart. 

"For  heaven's  sake!  I  am  not  the  Princess  Mary,"  said 
Charles,  laughing.  "Keep  your  tenderness  for  a  more  aus- 
picious occasion,  and  hear  what  I  have  to  say  to  you." 

"  I  am  listening,  dear  brother-in-law,  I  am  all  ear." 

"  This  evening  at  six  o'clock  my  sister  will  expect  you  to 
be  under  her  window,  and  like  an  angel  will  descend  from 
above  to  you,  or,  to  express  myself  prosaically,  will  come 
down  to  you  by  means  of  a  rope  ladder." 

"  At  six  o'clock?  Is  not  that  very  early?  Should  we  not 
rather  await  the  darkness  of  night  ?  " 

"  My  dear  brother-in-law,  it  is  dark  at  six  o'clock  in  Octo- 
ber, as  you  seem  not  to  have  observed,  especially  now  when 
there  is  no  moonshine.  You  will  be  no  more  visible  at  six 


162  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

than  at  seven  o'clock.  But  you  must  be  off  as  early  as  possible, 
that  by  eleven  you  may  be  beyond  the  reach  of  pursuit  and 
discovery." 

"  Why  so,  my  sage  Mentor?  " 

"  Because,  my  beloved  pupil,  my  mother,  Queen  Hen- 
rietta, occupies  the  same  bedroom  as  my  two  sisters,  and  it 
is  her  rule  never  to  let  the  young  ladies  sleep  alone.  This 
sleeping  room  is  quite  near  the  Queen's  drawing  room,  being 
only  separated  from  it  by  a  small  passage  upon  which  open 
two  doors,  one  leading  to  the  Queen's  drawing  room,  the  other 
to  the  chamber  of  her  lady's  maid.  My  mother  has  now  fixed 
habits,  from  which  she  never  deviates.  She  remains  in  her 
sitting  room,  either  reading  or  writing  to  my  father,  until 
eleven  o'clock.  The  princesses,  however,  are  allowed  to  retire 
earlier,  if  they  wish  it.  But  the  Queen  never  enters  her  sleep- 
ing room  until  eleven,  even  if  indisposed;  and  before  going 
to  rest,  with  motherly  solicitude,  always  draws  aside  the  bed 
curtains  to  assure  herself  that  her  daughters  are  enjoying 
tranquil  slumbers.  Do  you  now,  dear  brother-in-law,  com- 
prehend the  necessity  of  escaping  as  early  as  possible?  " 

"  Of  course,  because  at  eleven  our  flight  must  be  discov- 
ered." 

"  Yes,  because  at  eleven  begins  the  fifth  act  of  this  comedy, 
the  act  of  developments  and  explanations.  I  assure  you,  my 
friend,  it  will  open  in  a  painfully  stormy  manner,  for  my 
mother  will  probably  take  it  no  less  to  heart  than  yours.  I 
believe  it  is  the  only  point  on  which  our  gracious  mammas 
cordially  sympathize.  From  the  bottom  of  their  hearts  both 
would  gladly  see  this  marriage  dissolved." 

"What?  Your  mother  too?"  said  Prince  William  bit- 
terly. 

"  Certainly.  This  alliance  never  met  her  approval,  and  she 
only  acquiesced  in  deference  to  her  husband's  views.  But 
now  it  would  please  her  extremely  to  have  my  sister  unmar- 
ried. Mary  is  young,  beautiful,  and  fascinating  in  her  man- 
ners. At  Paris  she  will  find  a  King,  a  few  years  younger  than 
herself,  indeed,  but  with  whom  she  might  conclude  just  such 
a  marriage  as  she  had  previously  done  with  you.  It  would 
be  a  brilliant  match,  and  who  knows  what  will  happen  if  she 


.THE  ELOPEMENT.  163 

pleases  King  Louis  XIV  and  the  regent,  his  mother?  Your 
union  has  hitherto  been  merely  one  of  form,  and  consequently 
is  not  indissoluble.  Princess  Mary  will  then  return  to  the 
bosom  of  the  only  true  Church,  and  the  Pope  will  assuredly 
have  the  complaisance  to  pronounce  her  earlier  marriage  in- 
valid, as  also  to  bless  the  new  matrimonial  engagement." 

"  For  God's  sake  forbear,  else  you  will  drive  me  to  mad- 
ness! "  murmured  William  breathlessly,  with  pale,  trembling 
lips.  "  God  be  thanked,  Mary  is  not  going  to  France;  she 
will  stay  here  in  spite  of  both  our  ambitious,  domineering 
mothers.  Tell  me,  dear  Charles,  what  I  have  to  do.  You 
must  act  for  me,  and  make  all  the  needful  preparations." 

"  Yes,  if  you  were  to  act  in  person  all  would  be  in  vain! 
Your  shrewd  mother  is,  of  course,  keeping  a  vigilant  watch 
upon  you,  and  at  the  very  first  sign  of  peculiarity  in  your 
movements  she  would  carry  her  threat  into  execution,  and 
keep  you  imprisoned  until  Mary  has  left.  I  have,  therefore, 
acted  for  you,  and  I  think  you  will  be  satisfied  with  my  ar- 
rangements. Little  remains  to  be  done.  All  depends  upon 
your  preventing  this  journey  of  your  little  wife's  to  France, 
and  insisting  upon  your  right  to  keep  her  with  you.  My 
mother  can  not  well  defer  her  journey,  for  the  packet  boat 
which  is  to  take  her  to  Havre  is  ready  to  sail,  and,  moreover, 
she  has  paid  her  passage,  and  our  funds  are  not  in  a  condi- 
tion to  admit  of  losing  so  much  money.  My  mother  will  be 
obliged,  therefore,  to  set  sail  with  her  younger  daughter  and 
retinue,  and  I  only  will  be  left  to  search  for  my  sister  and 
then  follow  my  family  to  France.  You  need  only  conceal 
yourselves  for  a  few  days  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
take  care  that  your  being  found  again  be  attended  with  such 
eclat  that  your  mother  will  be  forced  to  admit  that  you  are 
actually  married,  and  can  no  longer  be  separated.  It  is  there- 
fore best  to  go  no  farther  than  Amsterdam,  and  take  up  your 
quarters  in  the  castle  there.  You  will  arrive  there  before 
daybreak;  the  steward  will  open  the  doors  for  you,  and  you 
can  tell  him  that  you  have  come  to  spend  a  few  days  in  your 
good  town  of  Amsterdam,  and  that  your  attendants  will  arrive 
early  the  next  morning.  In  the  morning  the  glad  tidings 
will  have  spread  over  the  whole  city.  You  will  have  to  ride 


164  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

through  the  streets  in  an  open  carriage,  to  receive  the  con- 
gratulations of  the  populace,  and  all  will  be  done.  Your  mar- 
riage will  be  a  fait  accompli  which  your  mother  can  no  longer 
deny.  She  will  put  a  good  face  on  the  matter,  and  probably 
pay  you  a  little  visit  at  Amsterdam  and  fetch  you  back  to 
The  Hague." 

"  Would  that  my  mother's  little  visit  were  over! "  sighed 
Prince  William,  with  an  air  that  made  the  Prince  of  Wales 
laugh. 

"  Do  not  think  of  that  now,  but  of  your  departure  hence," 
he  said.  "  First  of  all,  write  a  touching  and  respectful  letter 
to  your  parents,  entreating  their  forgiveness.  Leave  this 
letter,  addressed  to  your  mother,  on  your  writing  desk.  Then 
provide  yourself  with  money  and  such  like  indispensables, 
and,  above  all  things,  repair  punctually  to  my  rooms  at 
Bosch  at  six  o'clock.  For  the  rest,  the  rope  ladder  and 
equipage  I  shall  provide,  which  will  give  me  enough  to  do 
until  the  appointed  hour  arrives.  Farewell  then,  brother- 
in-law,  until  we  meet  again  at  six  o'clock  precisely." 

And  the  Prince  of  Wales  left  his  brother-in-law,  that  he 
might  do  all  that  he  had  promised  for  the  execution  of  his 
cunningly  devised  scheme;  but  while  he  made  arrangements 
for  the  flight  of  the  lovers,  he  never  for  an  instant  lost  sight 
of  his  own  affairs,  and  the  rendezvous  in  the  Chinese  Pavilion 
occupied  just  as  much  of  his  thoughts  as  the  elopement  to 
Amsterdam.  He  observed  everything  closely,  and  when, 
after  long  rambling  and  taking  many  needful  precautions, 
he  at  last  returned  to  Bosch,  his  mother's  temporary  resi- 
dence, he  made  his  faithful  valet  give  him  an  account  of  all 
that  had  happened  there  during  the  day.  The  youngest 
Princess  had  been  with  her  Majesty,  who  had  packed  up  all 
her  valuables  and  completed  her  preparations  for  her  jour- 
ney. Princess  Mary,  however,  had  kept  her  own  room,  Prin- 
cess Louisa  of  Orange  having  spent  the  whole  day  with  her, 
and  only  set  out  for  The  Hague  an  hour  ago.  Princess  Mary 
had  accompanied  the  Princess  Louisa  to  her  carriage,  her 
eyes  were  red  with  weeping,  and  when  she  embraced  the 
Princess  for  the  last  time  she  had  sobbed  aloud,  and  the  Prin- 
cess Louisa  had  wept  too.  Then  the  Princess  Mary  had  again 


THE  ELOPEMENT.  165 

retired  to  her  room,  and  had  excused  herself  to  her  Majesty 
for  not  appearing  at  table,  on  the  plea  of  suffering  from  an 
excruciating  headache. 

The  Prince  of  Wales  heard  this  news  with  much  satis- 
faction, and  forthwith  repaired  to  his  sister  Mary's  chamber. 
She  lay  upon  the  divan,  her  head  buried  in  its  silken  cushions, 
weeping  and  lamenting  aloud,  without  paying  any  heed  to 
approaching  footsteps.  Prince  Charles  made  a  rapid  circuit 
of  the  apartment,  looked  behind  every  curtain,  under  every 
piece  of  furniture,  and  then  stepped  close  up  to  the  divan 
on  which  his  sister  lay. 

"  Mary,  we  are  alone,  no  spies  are  watching  us!  " 

Immediately  her  laments  ceased  and  she  sprang  quickly 
up.  "  Thank  God,  brother,  that  you  have  come  at  last,"  she 
whispered.  "  I  was  so  uneasy." 

"  And  time  was  so  long,  was  it  not,  and  I  am  such  a  slow, 
cruel  creature?  Oh,  yes,  I  have  had  full  experience  of  such 
forms  of  speech  during  my  recent  interview  with  your  hus- 
band, and  therefore  will  excuse  you  a  repetition.  Oh,  you 
poor  lovers!  groping  about  in  the  night  of  illusion,  how  bit- 
terly will  you  be  disappointed  when  the  sun  of  knowledge 
rises  and  the  mists  of  enthusiasm  vanish !  " 

"That  will  never  be!"  cried  Mary  with  warmth.  "We 
shall  always  love  each  other  just  as  ardently  as  we  do  now. 
We  will  never  be  undeceived,  and  ever  cherish  our  illu- 
sions." 

"  Oh,  yes,  of  course,  so  they  talk  at  your  age." 

"At  my  age!  And  how  much  older  are  you  then,  my 
Prince  of  Wales?" 

"Almost  two  years,  my  Princess  of  Orange,  and  two  years 
of  bitter  experiences  have  they  been,  believe  me.  But  let  us 
now  talk  of  more  pressing  matters,  for  the  hour  of  separation 
is  at  hand,  and  we  have  still  much  to  do." 

"  Oh  dear,  oh  dear!  I  am  frightened  already!  If  our 
plans  should  miscarry  and  we  be  discovered!  If  my  strict 
mother-in-law  should  catch  us,  I  believe  I  should  melt  like 
wax  beneath  her  burning  eyes!  " 

"  Compose  yourself,  Mary;  she  will  not  catch  you,  for  I 
have  guarded  against  all  contingencies.  But  attend  to  me 


166  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

for  a  little  while,  and  be  pleased  to  answer  my  questions. 
Ilave  you  taken  your  final  leave  of  the  Princess  Louisa?  " 

"  Yes,  brother  Charles.  Poor  good  Louisa!  She  melted 
into  tears,  and  I,  too,  wept  bitterly,  I  knew  not  wherefore." 

"  You  did  not  betray  anything  of  your  plan,  and  she  has 
no  suspicion  of  your  approaching  flight?  " 

"  God  forbid!  Betray  anything  to  her!  She  would  have 
forthwith  done  everything  in  the  world  to  thwart  us  in  our 
adventure!  What  a  pious,  obedient,  and  humble  little  per- 
son she  is!  She  exhorted  me  with  tears  in  her  eyes  to  be  sub- 
missive to  our  parent's  will,  and  to  commit  all  to  our  dear 
Heavenly  Father!  Ah!  if  Louisa  had  a  suspicion  of  what 
is  going  on,  she  would  report  to  her  mother  on  the  spot.  I 
am  convinced  of  that,  and  therefore  kept  my  counsel." 

"  Well  done,  little  sister.  Now  be  kind  enough  to  allow 
me  to  dictate  a  note  to  you.  Have  the  goodness  to  take  this 
seat." 

He  led  his  sister  to  her  escritoire  and  placed  pen  and 
paper  before  her. 

"  What  am  I  to  write  then  ?  "  asked  Mary,  smiling.  "  May- 
hap a  letter  to  my  sweet  mother-in-law  ?  " 

"Ask  no  questions,  sister,  only  write;  we  have  no  time 
to  lose,  and  this  affair  signifies  little  to  you.  Are  you  ready, 
dear  sister?  May  I  begin?  " 

"  Commence,  I  am  on  the  qui  vive  to  hear." 

"  Only,  be  not  so  intent  upon  hearing  as  to  forget  to  write. 
So,  heading,  '  My  dear  Louisa! ' ; 

"  Oh,  I  am  to  write  to  Louisa?  Good  heavens,  what  can 
I  have  to  write  to  her  about?  " 

"  You  shall  soon  hear.    Only  write: 

"  MY  DEAR  LOUISA:  I  write  you  these  lines,  just  as  I  am 
in  the  act  of  taking  a  very  rash  step.  Louisa,  it  almost  broke 
my  heart  that  I  could  not  tell  you  everything,  and  I  have 
begged  my  dear  husband  until  he  has  allowed  me  to  write  you 
at  least  this  last  farewell,  and  make  this  request  of  you:  if 
you  would  see  us  once  more  before  our  departure,  if  you 
would  give  your  brother  one  last  farewell,  then  come  to  the 
Chinese  Pavilion  at  seven  o'clock  exactly.  There  you  will 


THE  ELOPEMENT.  1G7 

receive  the  last  greetings  of  your  brother  William  and  your 
unhappy  sister  Mary.  I  long  to  see  you  once  again,  for  I 
repent  so  much  of  having  deceived  you  to-day.  We  part  with 
light  hearts  from  all  but  you  and  brother  Charles;  we  grieve 
to  bid  you  farewell,  for  you  two  are  the  only  ones  who  truly 
love  us.  Come,  sister,  come  punctually  to  the  Chinese  Pavilion 
at  seven  o'clock.  But  be  silent  as  the  grave,  if  you  would 
not  be  responsible  for  the  death  of  YOUR  MARY." 

"I  do  not  understand  a  word  of  all  this,"  sighed  Mary, 
when  she  had  written  to  the  end. 

"  That  is  not  at  all  necessary.  You  will  understand  all  in 
good  time.  But  do  not  lay  your  pen  aside  yet,  chere  sceur, 
for  here  is  a  second  sheet  of  paper.  Be  so  good  as  to  copy  the 
note  I  dictated  to  you,  only  direct  it  to  the  Prince  of  Wales 
instead  of  to  the  Princess." 

"  So  be  it,  but  you  will  explain  to  me  when  I  have  finished 
what " 

"  Not  then,  but  hereafter.  Only  see,  the  clock  now  points 
to  half-past  five.  We  must  hurry  sister,  or  all  is  lost.  Please 
write." 

The  Princess  made  no  response,  but  began  to  write  rapidly, 
then,  at  an  intimation  from  her  brother,  folded  up  both  let- 
ters, wrote  the  addresses,  and  sealed  them. 

Prince  Charles  took  both  letters,  broke  the  seal  of  the  one 
directed  to  himself,  and  then  thrust  it  into  the  breast  pocket 
of  his  velvet  coat. 

"  The  other  letter,  Charles  ?  What  is  to  be  done  with 
that  ?  "  asked  the  Princess  inquisitively. 

"  You  shall  learn  directly.  Just  wait  one  minute."  He 
opened  the  door  leading  into  the  antechamber,  and  finding 
his  valet  standing  without,  bade  him  enter. 

"  Go  immediately,  James,"  he  said,  "  and  carry  this  letter 
from  the  Princess  of  Orange  to  Princess  Louisa  Henrietta  at 
The  Hague.  But  take  good  care  to  give  it  into  the  hands  of 
none  but  the  Princess  herself." 

"  Your  highness,  your  order  shall  be  obeyed." 

"  The  greatest  dispatch  is  required.  How  soon  can  you 
get  there,  James?  " 


168  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

The  valet  looked  at  the  clock.  "  It  now  wants  a  quarter  of 
six.  I  shall  be  there  a  quarter  past  six,  your  highness." 

"  That  is  to  say,  you  will  run  the  whole  way  like  a  hunted 
stag?" 

"  I  shall  run,  most  gracious  sir." 

And  the  valet  swiftly  vanished  through  the  antechamber 
door. 

"  Now,  sister,"  said  the  Prince  of  Wales  gravely,  "  the 
parting  hour  has  come,  and  we  must  take  leave  of  one  another. 
I  have  only  to  attach  this  rope  ladder  to  your  window." 

He  drew  a  package  from  his  pocket  and  unwrapped  it. 

"  Ah,  let  me  see!  "  cried  Mary.  "  I  have  never  seen  a  rope 
ladder.  Ah,  how  ingeniously  these  silken  cords  are  inter- 
linked, and  how  securely  all  is  joined  together.  Oh,  I  ought 
not  to  be  afraid,  for  these  steps  will  not  give  way.  And  yet, 
brother,  my  heart  beats  as  though  it  would  burst." 

"  Fear  nothing,  sister,  you  are  quite  safe.  This  ladder 
is  perfectly  true.  I  have  myself  tried  each  step,  and  proved 
them  all  to  be  strong  and  firm." 

The  Prince  of  Wales  now  made  fast  the  ladder  to  a  pro- 
jection below  the  window,  and  in  the  midst  of  some  parting 
injunctions  to  Princess  Mary,  suddenly  paused.  "  Hark!  " 
he  said,  "  the  clock  is  striking  six.  The  decisive  moment  has 
arrived — the  moment  for  action." 

"  Alas!  I  am  filled  with  anguish!  "  sighed  the  Princess. 
"  I  feel  dreadfully  alarmed,  and  all  at  once  this  adventure, 
which  has  hitherto  amused  me,  strikes  me  now  as  quite  a  seri- 
ous affair,  and  I  know  not  why,  but  I  begin  to  be  ashamed 
of  having  undertaken  it." 

"  That  is  to  say,  sister,  you  are  afraid  of  venturing  upon 
the  rope  ladder — nothing  more.  You  can  still  draw  back 
if  you  choose.  If  you  repent,  and  find  it  more  to  your  taste 
to  go  with  our  mother  to  France,  there  to  eat  the  bread  of 
charity,  say  so,  and  I  will  loosen  the  ladder,  go  down  into  the 
park  to  your  husband,  who  is  waiting  for  you  under  your 
window,  and  tell  him  that  you  prefer  following  your  mother 
to  staying  here  with  him." 

"  No,  I  do  not  prefer  it!  "  exclaimed  the  Princess  warmly. 
"  No,  I  will  not  go  with  my  mother  to  France,  to  beg  for  help 


THE  ELOPEMENT.  169 

and  protection  there,  when  I  can  be  a  free,  honored,  and  happy 
Princess  here  at  my  husband's  side." 

"  You  have  made  up  your  mind,  then,  Mary  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  have  made  up  my  mind  decidedly.  You  say, 
brother,  my  husband  is  waiting  for  me  below  ?  Well,  he  shall 
not  wait  in  vain;  I  will  go  to  him." 

And  with  flushed  cheeks  and  resolute  carriage  the  Prin- 
cess approached  the  window. 

"Not  so  fast,  chert  sosur,  not  so  fast,"  whispered  the 
Prince.  "  I  am  to  go  before,  to  show  you,  in  the  first  place, 
that  the  ladder  is  trustworthy,  and,  in  the  second,  to  help 
your  husband  to  hold  it  firmly  for  your  descent.  Au  revoir, 
then,  fair  Princess;  we  shall  meet  below.  As  soon  as  I  have 
gained  the  ground  I  shall  clap  my  hands  three  times  as  a 
signal  for  you  to  commence  your  journey." 

He  swung  himself  up  into  the  window  seat,  once  more 
nodded  encouragingly  to  his  sister,  and  then  vanished  into 
the  darkness.  Princess  Mary  leaned  far  out,  saw  the  shadow 
slowly  glide  down,  heard  the  creaking  and  groaning  of  the 
silken  cords,  and  in  breathless  suspense  expected  every  minute 
to  hear  the  cry  of  the  falling  and  the  rending  of  the  ladder. 
But  no.  The  ladder  stopped  moving,  and  from  below  she 
heard  the  appointed  signal. 

"  Now!  "  she  murmured,  with  trembling  lips  and  blanched 
cheeks — "  now!  " 

One  moment  more  she  stood  still  hesitating,  and  her  large 
hazel  eyes  turned  toward  the  door  leading  to  her  mother's 
apartments. 

"  Oh,  my  mother!  "  she  whispered,  "  who  knows  whether 
we  shall  ever  meet  again,  and  I  have  not  bid  you  good-by;  I 
have  not  received  your  parting  blessing,  have " 

Again  the  clapping  of  hands  was  heard  from  the  garden. 
"  I  am  coming,  yes,  I  am  coming,"  whispered  Mary.  "  Ah, 
I  will  think  of  nothing  but  that  my  husband  is  there  waiting 
for  me." 

She  sprang  courageously  upon  the  chair  which  stood  be- 
side the  window,  thence  swung  herself  up  to  the  window  sill, 
with  both  hands  held  to  the  cross  piece,  and  cautiously  and 
lightly  began  the  descent.  The  ladder  oscillated,  and  her 


170  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

heart  beat  so  as  to  take  away  her  breath;  but  she  heard  her 
husband's  voice  speaking  words  of  cheer  and  encouragement, 
and  that  strengthened  her  to  descend  more  quickly.  N  ow  two 
arms  encircled  her  and  lifted  her  down  from  the  ladder,  press- 
ing her  fondly  to  a  loudly  beating  heart,  and  a  beloved  voice 
whispered  words  of  ardent  gratitude  and  warm  devotion  in 
her  ear. 

"  Away  now,  away! "  urged  Prince  Charles,  at  their  side. 
"  Good  heavens!  just  be  rational  for  one  quarter  of  an  hour 
longer,  and  you  will  have  a  whole  lifetime  left  for  the  indul- 
gence of  your  folly.  Come,  come!  " 

"  Whither,  brother?  "  whispered  Mary. 

"  To  the  carriage,  my  romantic  sister.  It  is  hardly  two 
hundred  paces  distant,  at  the  entrance  to  the  park." 

"  Two  hundred  paces!  But  my  feet  burn  as  if  they  were 
on  fire,  and  pain  me  very  much.  I  can  not  move  a  step." 

"  I  will  carry  you,  darling!  Come  to  my  arms!  I  shall 
bear  you  in  my  arms  through  life,  and  never  let  your  beloved 
feet  touch  the  rough  ground." 

The  Prince  of  Orange  lifted  the  delicate,  sylphlike  form 
of  his  girlish  young  wife  in  his  strong  arms^  and  bore  her  with 
vigorous  step  down  the  avenue.  Prince  Charles  walked  silent- 
ly beside  them  until  they  had  gained  the  outer  gate  of  the 
park.  This  he  opened  and  gave  a  thrice-repeated  whistle. 
Forthwith  was  heard  the  muffled  sound  of  carriage  wheels, 
moving  slowly  over  the  graveled  walk.  "  Stop!  "  was  Prince 
Charles's  order,  and  he  opened  the  coach  door  himself,  al- 
though the  lackey  had  sprung  obsequiously  down  from  his 
seat  beside  the  driver. 

"  Get  in,  sister,"  said  the  Prince,  "  and  may  the  God  of 
love  protect  you." 

"  Farewell,  brother;  one  parting  kiss!  " 

"And  accept  the  assurance  of  my  undying  gratitude, 
dear  brother-in-law.  You  I  have  to  thank  for  the  happiness 
of  my  whole  life;  you  enabled  me  to  find  the  requisite  courage 
to  break  loose  from  the  despotic  will  which  threatened  to 
enthral  me.  You  freed  me  from  the  chains  of  moral  slavery, 
and  if  ever  I  become  a  strong  and  independent  sovereign,  you 
it  will  be  who  has  made  me  so!  Take  my  hand,  and  my  word 


THE  CHINESE  PAVILION.  171 

for  it  that  I  will  recompense  you  to  the  utmost  of  my 
ability." 

"  It  may  be,  brother,  that  I  shall  soon  have  to  claim  this 
promise/'  said  the  Prince  of  Wales,  sighing.  "  My  future 
does  not  lie  clear  and  bright  before  me  like  yours.  But  who 
knows,  perhaps But  enough  of  words.  Be  off  now.  Gal- 
lop off,  coachman,  to  Amsterdam!  " 

The  coachman  applied  his  whip  to  the  horses  and  the  car- 
riage rolled  rapidly  down  the  road.  The  Prince  looked  after 
it  until  it  disappeared  in  the  surrounding  darkness,  and  the 
rolling  of  the  wheels  was  no  longer  heard. 

"  And  now,"  he  said,  in  loud,  determined  tone — "  now 
the  hour  has  come  which  is  to  settle  my  fate  as  well.  God 
of  love,  stand  by  me,  and  let  not  my  trust  in  thee  be  brought 
to  shame!  Hark!  already  the  castle  clock  is  striking  the 
half  hour  after  six.  I  shall  not  have  time  to  go  down  to  The 
Hague.  The  Chinese  Pavilion  is  nearer,  and  I  shall  station 
myself  somewhere  in  its  neighborhood.  Will  she  come?— 
will  she  have  the  courage  to  go  through  the  park  alone  by 
night?  Yes,  she  will,  for  she  has  a  brave  heart,  and  will  not 
shrink  from  performing  a  deed  of  love.  Yes,  she  will  come, 
and  my  sly  James  will  see  her,  and  a  half  hour  later  hand 
the  note  in  question  to  Princess  Amelia.  Verily,  I  play  a 
rash  game,  and  if  I  lose,  nothing  is  left  to  me  but  either  to 
cast  myself  into  the  sea  or  to  accompany  my  mother  across 
the  sea  to  France.  Which  course  shall  I  take?  I  dread — the 
latter! " 


VII. — THE  CHINESE  PAVILION. 

PEINCESS  LOUISA  had  just  received  Mary's  enigmatical 
note,  and  in  helpless  terror  pondered  upon  its  contents.  The 
mysterious  language  in  which  it  was  couched  and  its  dark  hints 
filled  her  affectionate  heart  with  infinite  anxiety,  and  she  knew 
not  what  these  farewell  words  of  Mary's  could  signify. 

After  a  long  soliloquy  she  thought  that  she  had  unraveled 
the  mystery.  Her  brother  must  have  made  up  his  mind  to 
12 


172  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

follow  his  wife  to  France.  They  wished  to  give  her  a  last  fare- 
well, and  she  could  not  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  their  request.  No, 
she  must  hasten  to  them,  and  strive  by  the  tenderest  appeals 
to  turn  them  aside  from  a  project  which  she  felt  sure  would 
cause  her  beloved  father's  death.  She  slipped  the  ominous 
billet  into  her  pocket  and  prepared  to  set  forth.  "  No  one 
will  think  it  singular  that  I  should  go  down  into  the  park," 
she  said,  as  she  hastily  threw  a  scarf  around  her  shoulders 
and  covered  her  head  with  a  veil,  "  for  I  sometimes  go  to  the 
dairy  in  the  evening,  to  see  whether  they  have  made  things 
secure  for  the  night,  and  yet — I  would  rather  go  down  the 
private  staircase,  and  enter  the  park  through  the  little  gate 
where  no  sentinel  is  stationed.  Ah!  if  I  were  not  obliged  to 
go  alone!  If  only " 

For  one  minute  she  paused  and  a  vivid  blush  suffused 
her  cheeks.  "It  is  true,"  she  whispered,  "he  would  pro- 
tect me,  and  at  his  side  how  securely  I  might  walk  along! 
He  would  not  betray  me  if  I  were  to  confide  this  secret  to  him, 
but  second  me  in  my  efforts  to  deter  my  brother  and  sister 
from  taking  this  violent  measure.  Oh,  he  is  so  wise,  so  elo- 
quent, nobody  can  resist  him!  I  will  have  him  called.  I 
will  place  myself  and  my  secret  under  his  protection,  and 
implore  his  assistance." 

She  made  a  few  steps  forward,  but  faltered  and  stood  still. 
"  No,"  said  she,  slowly  shaking  her  brown  curls — "  no,  I  will 
not  call  him.  He  does  not  care  for  me — he  takes  no  interest 
in  me.  Not  once  has  he  asked  for  me  to-day,  although  I 
foolishly  volunteered  to  apologize  to  him  this  morning.  Even 
at  table  he  did  not  address  a  single  observation  to  me,  and  if 
our  eyes  accidentally  met,  he  looked  at  me  so  angrily  that 
his  glance  seemed  to  pierce  me  to  the  soul,  and  I  could  have 
cried  aloud  for  very  agony!  No,  I  shall  not  call  him — him 
least  of  all!  I  shall  go  alone!  " 

She  no  longer  hesitated,  a  cheerful  determination  took  pos- 
session of  her  whole  being  and  filled  her  with  strength  and 
spirit.  Hurriedly  she  left  her  apartment,  saying  to  her  maid, 
whom  she  met  in  the  antechamber,  that  she  would  be  absent 
but  for  a  little  while.  She  speedily  made  her  way  into  the  park. 
It  was  a  gloomy  evening,  not  a  moonbeam  illumined  the  dark- 


THE  CHINESE  PAVILION.  173 

ness,  and  only  the  stars  shone  clearly  in  the  evening  sky. 
To  them  Princess  Louisa  lifted  her  eyes  as  she  traversed  the 
broad  space  leading  into  the  dark  avenue. 

"  Attend  me,  ye  stars,  and  watch  over  me!  Bright  wit- 
nesses of  God's  unceasing  care  for  his  creatures,  smile  down 
upon  me,  and  inspire  my  poor  timid  heart  with  courage!  " 

And  it  seemed  to  her  as  if  the  stars  sparkled  more  bril- 
liantly, and  the  breeze  sighing  among  the  foliage  seemed  to 
whisper  to  her  that  God  was  near  to  sustain  and  protect  her 
by  his  presence. 

Courageously  she  moved  forward,  borne  onward  by  the 
strength  of  her  inward  emotion,  by  the  burning  love  of  her 
stout,  true  heart.  She  had  a  duty  to  fulfill — a  sacred  duty! 
She  would  restrain  her  brother  and  sister  from  entering  upon 
a  course  fraught  with  danger;  she  would  guard  her  beloved 
father  from  grief  and  peril  of  death!  There  was  no  longer 
in  her  any  timidity  or  maidenly  shrinking.  God  watched 
over  her.  Had  the  Elector  Frederick  William  thus  seen  her, 
could  he  have  looked  into  her  clear  eye  and  noble,  open  coun- 
tenance, he  must  have  read  her  pure  soul  as  depicted  upon 
every  feature,  and  his  heart  must  have  been  filled  with  faith 
and  confidence.  But  he  did  not  see  her.  He  had  long  wan- 
dered among  the  solitary  walks  of  the  park,  bewailing  the 
fate  which  seemed  to  be  about  to  doom  him  to  a  second  dis- 
appointment. "  0  Louisa,  Louisa!  has  your  face,  too,  de- 
ceived me? — was  that  appearance  of  maidenly  innocence  only 
a  mask  assumed  to  hide  the  wonted  levity  of  your  sex?  I 
could  weep  to  think  that  you  are  but  a  poor  deluded  woman 
— you  whom  your  Maker  had  destined  for  a  model  of  femi- 
nine truth  and  purity! "  Thus  absorbed  in  melancholy  re- 
flections, gathering  gloom  warned  him  that  the  hour 
for  the  hated  rendezvous  was  at  hand,  and  he  bent  his 
steps  toward  the  pavilion,  which  was  even  now  visible  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Chinese  garden,  with  its  white  walls  and  two 
lighted  windows.  He  seated  himself  on  the  marble  bench, 
in  the  arbor  close  beside  the  entrance.  The  projecting  pillars 
of  the  little  portal  cast  their  dark  shadows  over  his  form,  and 
no  careless  passer-by  would  have  observed  him.  There  he 
sat,  enveloped  in  his  mantle,  looking  out  into  the  night,  and 


174:  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

listening  to  every  sound  that  broke  the  stillness  of  the 
evening  hour,  and  amid  the  pains  and  conflicts  of  which 
his  soul  was  now  called  to  undergo,  unknown  and  unsus- 
pected by  himself,  there  sprang  up  within  him  the  genial 
blossoms  of  a  new  sensation,  and  a  new  era  of  thought  and 
being. 

"  When  Mahadoh  loves,"  say  the  Hindoo  Brahmins — 
"  when  Mahadoh  loves,  tears  fill  the  eye  of  the  god.  These 
tears  the  lotus  flower  receives  and  bears  down  to  earth,  and 
each  of  these  tears,  so  soon  as  it  touches  the  earth,  becomes 
a  human  heart,  instinct  with  the  divine  essence.  And  there- 
fore the  human  heart  is  full  of  love  and  woe,  for  man's  love 
springs  from  the  tears  of  a  god! "  The  Elector  thought  not 
of  these  words  of  the  Brahmins,  but  he  experienced  their  im- 
port as  he  sat,  with  clinched  hands  and  palpitating  heart, 
looking  out  through  the  darkness  for  her  whom  his  heart 
had  so  long  deferred  looking  for  and  yet  found  so  soon. 
Man's  love  is  indeed  an  emanation  from  deity.  It  burned 
not  then  in  the  heart  of  that  frivolous  young  Prince,  who, 
with  head  thrown  back  and  little  step,  came  gliding  through 
the  park.  He  had  taken  a  short  cut,  in  order  to  be  at  the 
place  of  appointment  in  good  time.  Like  a  serpent  he  had 
crept  along  swiftly  and  noiselessly  through  narrow  paths  and 
densest  shrubbery.  Now  he  stood  at  the  entrance  to  the 
avenue  which  led  directly  from  the  palace,  and  waited  for 
Louisa.  Oh,  he  knew  her  well;  he  knew  that  she  would 
take  no  bypaths  and  secret  ways,  but  come  fearlessly  by  the 
broadest  and  most  direct  road!  Then  he  turned  and  looked 
toward  the  pavilion.  "  Is  that  haughty  Elector  already  there? 
You  would  mortify  me,  you  petty  little  German  Prince!  I 
shall  have  my  revenge,  and  aim  my  blow  straight  at  your 
heart;  then  I  shall  carry  off  in  triumph  the  bride  you  had 
thought  to  win! " 

And  now  he  gazed  down  the  avenue.  "Will  she  come? 
— can  I  have  miscalculated?  " 

It  seemed  to  him  as  if  he  heard  approaching  steps,  as  if  he 
saw  a  form  advancing  along  the  avenue.  Yes,  he  had  not  been 
deceived — yes,  it  was  Princess  Louisa! 

He  hastened  to  meet  her,  joyfully,  gratefully. 


THE  CHINESE  PAVILION.  175 

"Who  is  that?"  asked  Louisa,  in  a  distinct,  courageous 
tone  of  voice. 

"It  is  I,  cousin,"  whispered  the  Prince  of  Wales.  "Ah! 
I  thought  I  should  meet  with  you  upon  this  sorrowful  pil- 
grimage. I  suspected  that  they  had  called  you  as  well  as 
myself." 

"  Did  you,  too,  receive  a  letter,  inviting  you  to  come  to 
the  Chinese  Pavilion?  " 

"  Yes,  a  letter  from  my  sister  Mary.  She  writes  that  she 
and  her  husband  are  about  to  set  out  on  a  long  journey,  and 
that  she  longed  to  embrace  me  once  more  before  her  depart- 
ure." 

"  The  very  same  thing  that  she  wrote  to  me.  Oh,  let  us 
make  haste,  cousin!  Oh  dear,  why  did  I  not  meet  you  earlier? 
Why  did  you  not  come  for  me?  I  felt  so  much  afraid  coming 
through  that  dreary,  lonely  avenue." 

"  Cousin,  I  did  not  know  that  they  had  asked  you  to  come 
here,  and  the  letter  enjoined  the  strictest  secrecy  upon  me." 

"Upon  me  too!  Oh,  the  poor,  foolish  children!  Oh, 
cousin,  you  will  join  your  entreaties  to  mine,  and  urge  them  to 
give  up  this  fearful  project.  It  would  be  the  death  of  my 
poor,  sick  father,  if  they  were  to  run  away!  Oh,  cousin,  you 
will  help  me  to  prevent  it,  will  you  not?  " 

"  I  will  do  anything  that  you  desire  of  me,  Cousin  Louisa, 
for  you  well  know  you  are  mistress  of  my  head,  my  heart, 
and  my  will.  Take  my  arm  and  let  us  hasten  to  seek  them." 

Without  resistance  the  Princess  took  his  arm  and  moved 
rapidly  forward  through  the  Chinese  garden  to  the  pavilion. 

"  Only  see,  there  is  a  light  in  the  little  parlor,"  said  Louisa 
anxiously;  "  they  are  there  already  waiting  for  us!  " 

"  Yes,  they  are  there  already,  as  it  seems.  Come,  my  noble, 
kind  cousin!  " 

He  spoke  the  last  words  in  a  loud,  tender  voice,  for  his 
sharp,  peering  eyes  had  detected  the  dark  shadow  near  the 
portal,  and  he  knew  that  the  Elector  was  there  lurking  in  the 
corner.  A  wild,  triumphant  joy  took  possession  of  his  heart; 
he  had  succeeded  in  taking  his  revenge  upon  the  proud  man 
who  had  humbled  him.  He  would  now  make  this  revenge 
more  keenly  felt,  and  the  spying  Elector  should  not  merely 


176  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

see,  but  hear.  They  were  now  quite  near  enough  for  him  to 
hear  their  voices  and  distinguish  their  words. 

"  Cousin,"  said  the  Prince,  in  a  tone  of  passionate  tender- 
ness, "  what  an  angel  you  are,  to  come  here  in  spite  of  the 
lateness  of  the  hour!  Love,  tender  desire  pleaded  with  you 
to  make  this  sacrifice,  and  you  were  forthwith  ready  to  offer 
it." 

"  Who  could  have  resisted  such  an  appeal  ?  "  was  her  soft 
rejoinder.  "  Who  could  have  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  call 
of  such  love?  I  obeyed  it,  as  was  my  duty,  and " 

"  Come,  Louisa,"  quickly  interposed  the  Prince,  "  the  door 
is  open;  let  us  enter  the  temple  of  love!  " 

They  glided  into  the  pavilion,  and  all  was  over! 

Yes,  all  was  over!  The  Elector  issued  from  his  place  of 
concealment,  his  heart  swelling  with  indignation  and  grief. 
He  had  heard  all.  All  was  over!  She  herself  had  said  that 
she  could  not  resist  the  call  of  his  love — that  it  was  her 
duty  to  follow  it!  All  was  over  now — all!  He  hated,  he 
despised  the  Princess!  If  she  could  love  that  frivolous  Prince 
of  Wales,  she  was  not  worthy  of  his  love  or  his  regret! 
Away  with  every  remembrance  of  her!  Every  sigh  for  her 
would  be  a  sin!  She  had  made  her  choice!  Well!  might 
she  be  happy! 

Furiously  he  thus  spoke  to  himself,  not  believing  that  he 
felt  pain — nothing  but  indignation  and  wrath!  It  was  so 
ridiculous,  so  humiliating,  to  be  supplanted  by  a  boy!  And 
this  was  the  maiden  who  had  been  held  up  as  a  model  of  vir- 
tue— this  foolish,  loving  girl,  who  even  granted  her  lover  a 
secret  rendezvous! 

"  I  should  like  to  know  how  long  they  will  stay  here,"  he 
said,  gnashing  his  teeth.  "I  am  curious  to  know  when  the 
fair  maid  of  Orange  will  return  home,  and  whether  it  is  pos- 
sible in  this  well-ordered  household  to  come  in  and  out  with- 
out attracting  attention.  Yes,  I  shall  learn,  I  will  wait  here 
until  they  come  out  of  that  cursed  house,  and  I  shall  follow 
them  to  the  palace,  for  I  am  curious  to  see  when  she  will 
return."  And  the  Elector,  who  had  in  fact  persuaded  him- 
self that  it  was  curiosity,  not  love  or  passion,  that  prompted 
him  to  tarry  longer,  resumed  his  seat  upon  the  marble  bench. 


THE  CHINESE  PAVILION.  177 

Princess  Louisa,  meanwhile,  had  followed  the  Prince  of 
Wales  into  the  little  lighted  parlor.  No  one  came  to  meet 
them,  no  one  was  visible. 

"  They  have  not  come  yet,"  said  Louisa  artlessly;  "  we 
shall  have  to  wait." 

"  In  the  transports  of  their  love  they  give  no  heed  to 
time,"  returned  the  Prince  of  Wales,  looking  at  the  clock. 
"  It  is  past  seven  o'clock  already;  they  should  certainly  have 
been  here  by  this  time." 

Secretly  he  said  to  himself:  "  It  is  past  seven,  and  conse- 
quently James  has  handed  my  note  to  Princess  Amelia  and 
ere  this  she  is  on  her  way  here.  Let  us  use  our  time  well  then, 
and  prepare  for  the  denouement." 

He  approached  the  Princess,  who  had  sunk  upon  the  divan, 
and  was  looking  down  silently  and  sadly. 

"  Louisa,"  he  whispered,  "  it  grieves  me  to  see  you  so  grave 
and  quiet." 

"  Can  I  be  otherwise?  "  she  asked,  sighing.  "  If  we  do  not 
succeed  in  dissuading  our  brother  and  sister  from  taking  this 
rash  step,  what  will  become  of  us?  What  will  my  mother 
say?  How  will  my  poor,  feeble  father  bear  it?  0  heavens! 
if  they  would  only  come!  This  solitude  is  frightful!  " 

"  Solitude !  "  he  repeated  despairingly.  "  Am  I  so  utterly 
insignificant  that  you  call  yourself  alone  when  I  am  at  your 
side?" 

"  A  truce  to  such  talk,  cousin,"  she  cried  impatiently. 
"  You  see  I  am  in  deadly  anxiety.  If  they  would  only 
come! " 

"  They  will  come,  cousin.  Are  you  so  afraid  to  stay  alone 
with  me?  " 

"Afraid  of  what?"  she  asked,  astonished.  "Oh  no, 
cousin,  I  am  not  afraid  to  be  alone  with  you;  it  only  fills  me 
with  anxiety  not  to  find  them  here.  Suppose  they  have 
changed  their  minds  and  thought  it  too  dangerous  to  ven- 
ture here?  Cousin,  suppose  they  have  gone  without  bidding 
us  farewell  ?  " 

"  Be  comforted,"  he  implored.  "  They  will  not  do  that. 
Why  should  they  have  urged  both  you  and  me  so  pressingly 
to  meet  them  if  they  intended  to  go  without  seeing  us?  " 


178  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  Your  are  right,  Prince,"  she  sighed.  "  But  it  is  so  pain- 
ful to  have  to  wait  here!  " 

"  Indeed,  if  any  one  were  to  see  us  here,"  said  he,  smiling 
— "  if  it  were  found  out  that  you  had  been  alone  with  me  in 
the  Chinese  Pavilion  at  so  late  an  hour  of  the  evening,  it  would 
furnish  scandalmongers  with  fine  material  for  gossip." 

"  Oh,  I  did  not  think  of  that,  and  it  is  not  that  which 
occasions  me  uneasiness,"  said  she.  "  Who  could  think  any 
harm  of  my  being  here  alone  with  you?  You  are  almost  like 
my  younger  brother." 

"  Almost,  but  not  quite,  Louisa.  Look  in  my  eyes.  Do 
you  not  read  there  other  than  a  brother's  love?  Ah,  Louisa, 
believe  that  I  love  you  boundlessly." 

And  he  fell  on  one  knee,  seized  her  hand,  and  looked  at 
her  with  flaming,  consuming  glances.  Louisa  shuddered, 
and  all  at  once  came  over  her  the  consciousness  of  the  dan- 
gerous, ambiguous  position  in  which  she  had  been  placed 
through  her  sister's  delay. 

"  Stand  up,  cousin,"  she  said  sternly.  "  Leave  off  this 
child's  play;  it  is  sadly  unsuited  to  the  occasion.  I  came  here 
to  bid  my  brother  and  sister  farewell,  and  am  not  in  a  state 
of  mind  to  listen  to  your  follies.  Eise  then,  Prince,  and  let 
us  seriously  and  rationally  consider  what  we  have  to  do." 

"  No,  I  will  not  rise,"  he  cried  passionately;  "  I  will  re- 
main before  you  on  my  knees,  and  never  rise  until  you  give 
me  one  word  of  encouragement!  0  Louisa!  be  moved  by  my 
love,  my  grief!  Consider  that  you  are  the  only  hope  of  my  life! 
Give  me  your  dear  hand,  and  I  shall  esteem  myself  amply 
recompensed  for  all  that  I  have  lost,  for  your  heart  is  the  only 
kingdom  over  which  I  care  to  reign! " 

"You  will  not  rise,  then?"  asked  Louisa  indignantly. 
"  You  are  cruel  and  selfish  enough  to  torture  and  torment 
me,  although  you  see  my  heart  is  wrung  with  anguish!  Hear 
what  I  have  to  say  to  you  now,  Prince  of  Wales!  If  you  do  not 
instantly  get  up  and  keep  silence  with  regard  to  your  own  feel- 
ings, which  have  nothing  to  do  with  my  presence  here,  I  shall 
leave  the  room  directly,  and  await  outside  the  door  the  arrival 
of  our  friends." 

She  approached  the  door  with  such  a  firm  step  and 


THE  CHINESE   PAVILION.  179 

haughty,  energetic  mien  that  the  Prince  felt  that  she  would 
execute  her  threat.  He  therefore  arose  from  his  knees  and 
stepped  quickly  up  to  her. 

"  Stay,  Princess,"  he  said;  "  I  will  he  silent,  for  it  is  not 
worth  while  to  repeat  to  you  what  you  have  already  known 
so  long." 

He  held  out  his  hand,  and  the  Princess  allowed  him  to 
lead  her  back  into  the  middle  of  the  room. 

"  But  do  you  understand  the  meaning  of  this  long  delay?  " 
she  asked,  full  of  distress.  "  Could  they  have  gone  without 
coming  here?  Can  it  be  possible  that  they  have  given  up 

their  design,  and Oh,  what  is  that?  "  she  exclaimed, 

breaking  off  in  the  midst  of  her  sentence  as  her  eye  acci- 
dentally fell  upon  the  window  opening  on  the  garden.  "  What 
means  that  light?  " 

She  hurried  to  the  window,  followed  by  the  Prince  of 
Wales. 

"I  see  four  torchbearers  coming  in  this  direction,"  said 
he.  "  The  long-expected  are  come  at  last!  But  how  singular, 
that  they  should  have  themselves  lighted  here!  An  original 
mode  of  flying,  truly!  " 

Louisa  paid  no  attention  to  him.  Of  all  his  words  she 
heard  only  these,  "  The  long-expected  are  come  at  last."  She 
felt  comforted  and  strengthened,  and  smilingly  looked  out 
upon  the  approaching  party.  Now  the  torchbearers  stood 
before  the  pavilion,  fronting  both  sides  of  the  little  portal. 
She  saw  two  figures  advance  and  near  the  door. 

"  They  come,  they  are  here!  "  she  joyfully  exclaimed,  with- 
drawing from  the  window.  The  Prince  of  Wales  hurried  up 
to  her,  seized  her  hand,  holding  it  fast  within  his  own. 

"  Come,  Louisa,  let  us  go  to  meet  our  brother  and  sister." 

She  did  not  know  that  the  Prince  of  Wales  had  taken  her 
hand;  she  thought  only  of  those  whom  she  was  waiting  for, 
and  only  looked  toward  the  door  with  loudly  beating  heart. 


180  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 


VIII. — THE  CONFESSION. 

AND  now  the  door  opened  and  a  tall  lady  entered,  fol- 
lowed by  a  gentleman. 

Louisa  uttered  a  scream  of  terror,  and  tottered  back  as  if 
she  had  seen  an  apparition.  Those  who  had  just  entered 
were  not  Prince  William  and  his  young  bride,  but  the  Princess 
Amelia  and  her  brother,  the  Prince  of  Solms. 

A  pause  ensued,  a  long,  breathless  pause.  Princess 
Amelia  seemed  not  less  surprised  to  find  her  daughter 
here  than  Princess  Louisa  was  to  see  her  mother  step  in, 
in  Princess  Mary's  stead.  The  Prince  of  Wales  drew  him- 
self up  to  his  full  height  and  looked  upon  the  Princess 
with  calm,  proud  dignity.  The  Prince  of  Solms  alone 
with  cool  equanimity  surveyed  the  apartment  and  all  those 
present. 

"  Do  I  find  you  here,  Louisa?  "  at  last  exclaimed  Princess 
Amelia,  in  a  tone  of  painful  astonishment.  "  Are  you,  too, 
in  league  with  them,  and  have  you  lent  them  your  aid  in  their 
adventurous  undertaking?  " 

"  No,  your  grace,  no! "  cried  Louisa,  "  I  know  nothing 
of  it,  I- 

"  For  God's  sake! "  whispered  Prince  Charles  anxiously, 
"  would  vou  betray  our  brother  and  sister?  Would  you  cause 
their  deaths?  " 

"  Well,  Louisa,"  asked  her  mother  sternly,  "  where  are 
they?  Are  they  concealed  in  this  house?  " 

"I  do  not  know,  most  gracious  mother,"  stammered 
Louisa,  "  I- 

"  Louisa,"  whispered  the  Prince,  "  now  is  the  time  to  prove 
your  sisterly  affection.  You  must  save  them  by  sacrificing 
yourself!  " 

He  had  all  this  while  held  the  Princess's  hand  clasped 
within  his  own,  now  he  tightened  his  grasp  and  drew  her  for- 
ward, straight  up  to  her  mother. 

"  There  is  no  longer  any  use  in  dissembling,"  said  he; 
"  we  must  make  up  our  minds  to  acknowledge  the  truth,  my 
dear  Louisa." 


THE  CONFESSION.  181 

"What,  would  you  betray  them?"  murmured  she,  turn- 
ing pale. 

"  I  would  betray  our  secret,  and  avow  the  immeasurable 
love  which  has  led  to  all  these  errors,"  cried  the  Prince  aloud, 
and  as  he  turned  with  a  soft  smile  to  Princess  Amelia  he 
asked,  "  Most  noble  aunt,  whom  did  you  expect  to  find  here?  " 

"Whom  but  Prince  William  and  Princess  Mary?"  asked 
the  Princess.  "  I  have  received  my  son's  letter,  and  espe- 
cially the  message  that  I  would  find  the  fugitives  at  this 
spot." 

"  You  have  been  deceived,  most  gracious  lady,"  exclaimed 
Prince  Charles  eagerly.  "  No  one  is  here  save  we  two." 

"  You  two  ?  And  what  means  your  presence  here,  if  I 
may  ask?  " 

"  It  means!  "  cried  the  Prince,  retaining  Louisa's  hand 
and  advancing  still  nearer  to  the  Princess  Amelia,  while  he 
gracefully  bent  one  knee  before  her — "  it  means  that  we  im- 
plore your  grace's  forgiveness  and  blessing  upon  our  love!  " 

Princess  Louisa  shuddered  and  a  slight  scream  escaped 
her  lips.  Horror-stricken  she  gazed  sometimes  at  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  sometimes  across  at  the  door  through  which  Elec- 
tor Frederick  William  had  just  entered.  She  had  recognized 
him,  in  spite  of  the  cloak  which  enveloped  his  form,  in  spite 
of  the  broad  slouched  hat  which  he  had  drawn  low  over  his 
forehead  so  as  to  shroud  his  whole  face  from  view.  Yes,  it 
was  no  other  than  he,  and  lie  was  to  be  a  witness  of  this  hu- 
miliation, so  terrible  to  the  shrinking  delicacy  of  her  sensi- 
tive nature. 

"  My  blessing  upon  your  love?  "  asked  Princess  Amelia. 
"  This  is  not  the  time  or  place  to  obtain  it.  Where  are  the 
fugitives?  You  have  hidden  them  somewhere,  and  think  to 
detain  us  here  that  they  may  have  time  to  make  good  their 
escape." 

"  No,  your  grace,  none  are  hidden  here,"  said  the  Prince 
composedly.  "  We  are  here  alone,  and  do  not  hide  ourselves. 
We  came  here  in  order  to  take  a  last  farewell  of  one  another, 
and  once  more  to  exchange  our  vows  of  eternal  love,  ere, 
driven  by  inexorable  fate,  I  take  my  leave  of  The  Hague. 
I  had  meant  to  have  kept  my  love,  as  the  most  precious  treas- 


182  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

ure  of  my  life,  silently  locked  in  the  depths  of  my  heart,  until 
the  clouds  which  now  lower  over  our  house  should  be  dis- 
sipated. Not  the  fugitive  Charles  Stuart,  but  the  Prince  of 
Wales  reinstated  in  his  rights,  should  sue  for  the  hand  of  the 
Princess  of  Orange.  A  strange  accident  has  willed  it  other- 
wise. Some  one,  gracious  lady — and  I  suspect  who — has  re- 
vealed to  you  the  secret  of  our  rendezvous.  You  have  come 
and  surprised  this  young  lady  and  myself  in  the  sweetest 
solitude.  Our  love  no  longer  submits  to  secrecy,  and  honor 
requires  that  we  confess  it  to  you.  I  do  so  proudly  and  joy- 
fully, and  entreat  your  grace  to  bestow  upon  us  your  motherly 
benediction." 

Motionless  and  rigid  as  in  a  trance  Louisa  had  stood  and 
listened.  She  made  not  the  slightest  attempt  to  interrupt 
him;  her  whole  soul  was  in  her  eyes,  and  her  eyes  were  ever 
fixed  there — there  upon  the  muffled  figure  in  the  doorway. 

Her  mother's  voice  roused  her  from  this  state  of  stupe- 
faction, this  dreamlike  reverie. 

"Louisa,"  asked  the  Princess  Amelia,  "has  your  heart 
then  yielded  at  last?  Do  you  love,  do  you  voluntarily  resolve 
to  marry?" 

She  made  no  reply.  Her  cheeks  were  pale  as  death,  her 
lips  quivered,  but  not  a  sound  issued  from  them. 

"  If  you  disown  my  explanation  and  betray  our  brother 
and  sister,  you  will  have  their  deaths  upon  your  skirts," 
whispered  the  Prince  of  Wales,  bending  over  her. 

"  Daughter,"  asked  the  Princess  Amelia  softly,  "  why  do 
you  not  answer  me?  Do  you  love  the  Prince  of  Wales?  " 

She  shivered,  her  spirit  recovered  from  its  torpor,  a  rich 
glow  suffused  her  cheeks,  and  her  whole  frame  trembled. 

"  No!  "  she  cried  emphatically,  "  I  do  not  love  him!  "  And 
she  impatiently  tore  her  hand  from  his  grasp  and  gave  him 
a  proud  and  withering  glance. 

"  But,  Louisa,"  said  the  mother,  "  why  will  you  persist  in 
denying  your  love,  when  the  Prince  confesses  it,  and  makes 
the  only  apology  which  can  in  any  degree  justify  your  im- 
proper appearance  here." 

"  He  speaks  falsely,  it  is  a  perfect  tissue  of  falsehood  and 
deceit!  "  she  cried  indignantly.  "  Oh,  he  knows  that  I  did  not 


THE  CONFESSION.  183 

come  here  to  see  him,  or  to  receive  his  childish  protestations 
of  love;  he  knows  very  well  that  I  ventured  not  upon  this 
course  through  levity,  but  that  it  was  for  the  fulfillment  of 
a  sacred  duty!  Sir  Prince  of  Wales,  I  adjure  you  to  own  the 
truth!  Will  you  say  upon  your  word  of  honor  that  I  came 
here  to  meet  you — to  have  an  interview  with  you  ?  " 

"Ah,  adored  Louisa,  you  would  seek  to  find  excuses  in 
cunning  words,"  said  he,  smiling.  "  I  can  not  indeed  affirm 
upon  my  word  of  honor  that  we  met  first  in  this  room,  for  we 
met  outside  the  Chinese  garden,  where  I  was  waiting  for  you." 

"  Is  that  true,  Louisa  ?  "  asked  her  mother. 

"  Yes,  it  is  true,"  cried  she,  "  but 

"  Enough!  "  interrupted  Princess  Amelia.  "  To  what  pur- 
pose any  further  discussion,  any  further  denial?  You  took 
a  most  improper,  reprehensible  step,  Louisa,  in  coming  here 
at  this  unseasonable  hour  to  take  leave  of  the  Prince  of  Wales. 
Unhappily  we  have  become  the  witnesses  of  your  rendezvous, 
a  singular  concatenation  of  circumstances  having  led  us 
hither.  There  is  only  one  course  now  open  to  you,  viz.,  to 
make  the  amende  honorable  by  giving  your  hand  to  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  and  that  as  speedily  as  possible." 

"  Thanks,  most  gracious  mother,  thanks! "  shouted  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  seizing  the  Princess  Amelia's  hand  and  cover- 
ing it  with  kisses. 

But  Princess  Louisa  rushed  forward  and  repelled  him 
from  her  mother,  with  flashing  eyes  and  manner  expressive 
of  highest  emotion. 

"  You  shall  not  carry  this  hypocritical  game  any  further!  " 
she  said  earnestly.  "  I  shall  put  an  end  to  this  jugglery,  I 
will  speak  the  truth!  " 

"  And  kill  your  brother?  "  asked  he,  bending  over  her. 

"  Oh,  what  is  all  that  to  me  now?  "  she  cried,  in  noble  in- 
dignation. "  For  my  brother's  sake  I  could  die,  but  not  bear 
dishonor.  And  dishonored  would  I  be  if  I  had  come  here  to 
meet  a  lover.  Dishonored  would  I  be  if  I  had  secretly  met 
the  Prince  of  Wales  here  without  my  mother's  knowledge. 
I  would  never  have  consented  to  such  a  thing,  even  if  I  had 
loved  the  Prince  of  Wales.  But  I  do  not  love  him — no,  I  have 
never,  never  loved  him  for  a  single  moment!  " 


184:  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  And  yet  you  have  invited  dishonor,"  said  Princess  Amelia 
harshly;  "  for  we  have  surprised  you  in  an  interview  with  the 
Prince  of  Wales,  and  you  must  either  consent  to  become 
his  wife  or  explain  to  us  how  you  chanced  to  be  here  without 
any  design  of  meeting  him?  " 

"  That  you  can  not  explain,"  said  Charles  softly;  "  give 
it  up,  Louisa;  attempt  not  to  conceal  what  can  not  be  con- 
cealed. It  wounds  your  sense  of  maidenly  delicacy  to  be  re- 
proached with  having  committed  an  impropriety,  but  love 
excuses  all,  and  my  wife  will  have  no  need  to  blush  for  her 
love/' 

"  You  shall  not  delude  me  with  your  specious  words!  " 
cried  she  angrily.  "  And  you  shall  not  think  that  I  shrink 
from  speaking  the  truth!  Once  more  I  say  for  my  brother's 
sake  I  could  die,  but  not  bear  dishonor!  Mother,  I  can  give 
you  proof  that  I  am  not  guilty  of  the  misdemeanor  with  which 
you  reproach  me." 

She  drew  from  her  pocket  a  little  twisted  paper  and  handed 
it  to  her  mother. 

"  Read,  Princess!  "  she  said  proudly — "  read!  " 

"  For  God's  sake!  "  cried  the  Prince  of  Wales,  who  only 
knew  too  well  his  sister  Mary's  note,  and  therefore  sought 
to  stay  her  hand — "  for  God's  sake  what  are  you  about  to  do  ?  " 

"  I  would  vindicate  my  honor,"  she  said,  and,  disengaging 
her  hand,  she  looked  upon  him  with  profound  contempt. 
"  Eead,  Princess  Amelia!  And  you,  too,  Sir  Elector,  I  shall 
thank  to  read  this  note  from  my  sister-in-law.  I  know  not  why 
my  mother  brought  you  here,  but  since  you  are  here,  I  should 
like  to  be  justified  before  you  also." 

"  No! "  cried  the  Elector,  impulsively  throwing  aside  hat 
and  cloak,  and  rushing  up  to  Louisa — "  no,  I  will  read  noth- 
ing, know  nothing!  You  need  no  other  justification  than 
that  seen  in  your  sweet  nature,  your  genuine  indignation. 
I  need  not  to  read  that  letter,  which  doubtless  lays  bare  a 
whole  tissue  of  artifice  and  intrigue.  At  the  first  deprecatory 
word  uttered  by  your  chaste  lips,  deep  in  my  inmost  soul  sank 
the  conviction  that  you  were  guiltless  of  all  fault.  I  shall  not 
derogate  from  this  proof  by  listening  to  any  other  that  might 
be  given  me.  0  Louisa!  if  you  only  knew  how  lovely  you  were 


THE  CONFESSION.  185 

to  behold,  in  your  noble  wrath!  My  whole  soul  bows  down 
before  you  in  glad  homage,  joying  to  recognize  in  you  the 
embodiment  of  youth,  beauty,  and  loveliness,  and,  what  is 
more  than  all  these,  of  the  perfect  purity  of  maidenly  inno- 
cence and  truth." 

He  dropped  on  one  knee  before  her,  and,  as  he  lifted  up 
his  clasped  hands  to  her,  his  glances  were  expressive  of  the 
most  glowing  admiration,  and  his  noble,  manly  countenance 
was  irradiate  with  love,  energy,  and  enthusiasm. 

"  Princess  Louisa  of  Orange,"  he  said,  "  will  you  gracious- 
ly answer  me  one  question  in  the  presence  of  these  wit- 
nesses? I  offer  you  my  hand  and  heart,  promising  to  love, 
cherish,  and  honor  you  as  the  dearest  boon  vouchsafed  me  by 
Heaven!  Princess  Louisa  of  Orange,  will  you  accept  the  hand 
which  I  offer  you,  will  you  be  my  wife?  " 

Ever  he  looked  up  at  her  with  beaming  eyes  and  radiant 
countenance.  He  saw  nothing  but  her,  hardly  knew  that  any 
others  were  present,  did  not  see  that  Princess  Amelia  had 
long  since  ceased  to  read  and  was  gazing  intently  upon  the 
handsome  young  couple.  Neither  did  he  see  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  standing  there  pale  and  almost  breathless,  supporting 
himself  upon  the  marble  table  at  his  side.  He  saw  nothing 
but  her,  and  with  palpitating  heart  awaited  an  answer  from 
her  lips. 

And  she?  With  deep  emotion  had  she  heard  his  words, 
the  light  of  joy  shining  in  her  eyes,  her  cheeks  crimsoning 
and  paling  with  the  rapid  beat  of  her  pulses.  At  his  last 
question  she  trembled  and  involuntarily  bent  over  his  kneel- 
ing form,  and,  laying  her  right  hand  on  his  shoulder,  looked 
with  a  wondrous  smile  into  his  animated,  excited  countenance. 
But  gradually  this  smile,  which  had  lighted  up  her  features 
as  with  rays  of  parting  sunshine,  died  away,  and  a  painful 
melancholy  clouded  her  face. 

"  Louisa!  "  cried  the  Elector  anxiously — "  Louisa,  I  be- 
seech you  to  answer  me.  Will  you  accept  my  heart  and  love? 
Will  you  be  my  wife?  " 

She  slowly  shook  her  head,  and  a  deep  sigh  escaped  her 
bosom.  "  I  thank  you,  Cousin  Frederick,"  she  said,  drawing 
a  long  breath.  "  You  are  very  good  to  me,  very  magnani- 


186  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

mous.  You  would  make  for  me  the  amende  honorable  which 
my  mother  pronounced  to  be  necessary.  Oh,  you  are  a  good, 
noble  man,  and  so  long  as  I  live  I  shall  cherish  the  memory 
of  your  present  kindness.  But  I  can  not,  nevertheless,  accept 
your  magnanimous  offer." 

"  Louisa! "  cried  the  Elector,  "  do  you  reject  me,  do  you 
refuse  my  hand  and  heart  ?  " 

She  thoughtfully  nodded  her  head.  "  You  offer  me  your 
hand,"  she  said,  "  but  not  your  heart.  You  have  allowed 
yourself  to  be  carried  away  by  your  feelings  of  compassion; 
seeing  me  in  such  extremity  of  distress,  in  your  magnanimity 
you  thought  to  offer  the  timid  dove  a  shelter,  and  to  shield  her 
from  harm  on  your  strong  heart.  But  know,  sir,  that  I  can 
not  and  will  not  take  advantage  of  your  generosity.  While 
I  thank  you,  then,  cousin,  for  the  honor  you  do  me  in  thus 
offering  me  your  hand,  I  can  not — see  what  a  foolish  girl  I 
am! — I  can  not  profit  by  the  rash  offer  which  you  make  me, 
tempted  by  pity." 

"Oh,  you  suppose  this  is  a  rash  offer?"  exclaimed  the 
Elector,  smiling.  "  You  are  too  proud  to  accept  a  proposi- 
tion which  you  take  to  be  an  impromptu  of  generosity?  Most 
gracious  aunt,  I  must  summon  you  to  the  rescue.  I  must 
beg  you  to  consider  yourself  released  from  your  promise  of 
secrecy,  and  to  tell  this  young  lady  the  object  of  my  visit  to 
The  Hague." 

"  I  will  tell  you,  Louisa,"  said  her  mother,  "  and  you  know 
that  my  lips  have  never  been  polluted  by  an  untruth.  The 
Elector  had  asked  your  father's  and  my  consent  to  propose 
for  our  daughter's  hand,  both  by  letter  and  verbally  through 
his  chancellor.  In  case  of  our  favorable  reply,  he  preferred 
the  request  that  we  should  not  inform  you  of  his  suit,  but 
allow  him  to  come  and  try  in  person  to  win  your  heart.  We 
willingly  accorded  him  his  desire,  and  so  our  nephew  has  come 
to  make  his  proposals  in  person." 

"  To  try  to  win  your  heart,"  added  the  Elector.  "  Now 
that  you  know,  Louisa,  that  I  did  not  make  my  proposal 
through  the  hasty  impulse  of  the  moment,  but  that  it  has  been 
a  matter  long  considered,  and  that  I  was  only  waiting  for  a 
favorable  moment  to  open  my  heart  to  you,  will  you  reject 


THE  CONFESSION.  187 

me?  Once  more  I  ask  you,  Princess  Louisa  of  Orange,  will 
you  accept  my  hand  and  heart?  Will  you  with  me  venture 
upon  the  difficult  path  of  life?  Will  you  become  my  wife  in 
the  conviction  that  I  shall  love  you  unceasingly,  confide  in 
you  as  my  best  friend,  and  cherish  you  as  my  most  precious 
possession.  Will  you  accept  my  hand?  " 

"  Yes!  "  she  cried,  in  a  tone  of  exultant  joy.  "  Yes,  I 
will! "  And  her  head  bent  so  low  that  her  fair  curls  almost 
touched  his  brow. 

The  Elector  sprang  to  his  feet  and  encircled  the  Princess 
in  his  arms.  A  suppressed  shriek  was  heard,  a  shriek  of  min- 
gled rage  and  grief,  and,  heeded  by  no  one,  detained  by  no 
one,  the  Prince  of  Wales  darted  through  the  hall,  tore  open 
the  door,  and  rushed  into  the  open  air. 

"You  consent  then?"  asked  Frederick  William,  releasing 
the  Princess  from  his  arms  to  look  upon  her  and  meet  her 
smile.  "  You  will  try  to  love  me  a  little  and  be  content  with 
my  love  ?  " 

She  looked  into  his  eyes,  and  a  blissful  smile  illumined 
her  features.  "  I  must  make  a  confession  to  you  and  my 
mother,  and  I  care  not  if  my  dear  uncle  hears  me,  too.  All 
fear  and  timidity  seem  to  have  left  me,  and  I  feel  as  if  the 
whole  world  might  be  admitted  to  hear  what  I  have  to  say. 
Mother,  do  you  remember  the  promise  you  made  me  when 
I  fell  ill  of  distress  at  the  prospect  of  being  married  to  the 
Elector  of  Hesse?  You  promised  me  never  to  force  me  to 
marry  against  my  will,  do  you  recollect  it,  mother?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  well  do  I  recollect  it,"  smiled  the  Princess, 
"  and  often  enough  have  I  repented  of  having  made  this 
promise,  in  the  foolish  weakness  of  my  mother's  heart." 

"  But  I  will  now  tell  you,  mamma,  why  I  besought  you  so 
to  do:  not  because  I  wished  to  find  a  person  whom  I  could 
love,  but  because  ever  since  my  childhood  my  heart,  my  affec- 
tions, my  dreams  had  centered  upon  one  whom  I  knew  that  I 
would  love  as  long  as  I  lived,  and  that  no  other  love  could 
extinguish  this  sentiment  of  my  soul.  And  this  one,  whom 
I  have  always  loved,  whom  I  shall  ever  love,  my  first,  my  last, 
my  only  love,  is  my  dear  cousin.  Elector  Frederick  William. 
Had  he  not  chosen  me,  I  should  have  remained  single;  but 
13 


188  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

since  I  am  his  choice,  I  accept  him  with  joy  and  gratitude, 
only  praying  that  God  may  give  me  strength  to  make  him 
as  happy  as  he  deserves  to  be.  There,  I  give  myself  to  you, 
Elector,  for  I  am  yours  already  in  heart  and  soul." 

"  I  take  you  and  give  myself  to  you,  sweetest  Louisa. 
Blessings  upon  you  for  the  glorious  words  which  your  dear 
lips  have  just  uttered.  Let  me  imprint  a  betrothal  kiss  upon 
those  lips,  and  accept  therewith  my  vows  of  eternal  constancy 
and  love,  my  own  fair  bride." 

He  clasped  her  in  his  arms,  and  gave  her  a  long  and  ardent 
kiss. 

"  And  I  seem  entirely  out  of  the  question,"  said  Princess 
Amelia,  approaching  the  happy  couple.  "  You  do  not  ask 
whether  I  give  my  consent,  and  the  whole  world  seems  to  be 
banished  from  your  minds." 

"  Your  grace  had  already  given  me  your  consent,  on  con- 
dition that  I  could  gain  this  proud,  cold  heart! "  cried  the 
Elector. 

"  And  I  do  not  retract  it,"  returned  the  Princess,  smil- 
ing. "  Only  I  must  beg  you  both  to  descend  a  little  from  the 
heavenly  heights  to  which  you  have  soared,  and  to  revisit  the 
earth  and  occupy  yourselves  with  sublunary  affairs.  We  shall 
have  many  days,  I  trust,  wherein  to  rejoice  over  your  happi- 
ness and  union.  But  now  we  must  turn  our  thoughts  upon 
other  matters.  The  letter  which  Louisa  just  gave  me  cer- 
tainly justifies  her  appearance  here,  but  explains  nothing 
else,  and  I  must  therefore  beg  of  you,  Louisa,  to  give  me  some 
further  explanations." 

"  Which,  alas!  I  am  unable  to  give,  most  gracious  mamma. 
I  know  nothing  but  what  is  in  that  letter.  Mary  therein  sum- 
moned me  to  come  here  and  take  a  last  farewell  of  her  before 
she  left  us  with  her  husband  forever.  I  came  hither,  because 
I  hoped  to  persuade  the  foolish  young  lovers  to  give  up  their 
scheme,  and,  for  our  sick  father's  sake,  to  remain  here  quietly 
and  peaceably.  On  my  way  I  met  the  Prince  of  Wales,  and 
learned  from  him  that  he  had  likewise  received  a  note  from 
his  sister  directing  him  to  come  to  the  Chinese  Pavilion.  So 
we  proceeded  in  company,  but  waited  in  the  parlor  in  vain, 
for  nobody  came." 


THE  CONFESSION.  189 

"  And  was  the  Prince  of  Wales  equally  ignorant  of  the 
flight  of  the  young  couple?  "  asked  the  Elector,  smiling. 

"  He  seemed  just  as  much  astonished  and  to  know  just 
as  little  about  it  as  I  myself." 

"  That  is  to  say,  he  has  a  great  talent  for  acting,"  said 
Frederick  William,  shrugging  his  shoulders.  "  Permit  me 
to  throw  a  little  light  upon  the  matter,  for  I  happen  to  know 
that  the  Prince  of  Wales  was  the  deus  ex  machina  throughout. 
I  have  proof  of  it.  This  afternoon,  being  in  a  restless  and 
melancholy  mood,  I  wandered  about  the  park  aimlessly  and 
hopelessly,  seeking  the  most  unfrequented  paths.  Suddenly 
I  became  conscious  that  I  had  struck  into  the  road  leading 
to  Bosch,  and  was  now  just  opposite  the  castle.  A  carriage 
stood  near  at  hand,  into  which  two  persons  mounted,  whom  I 
could  not  distinguish  in  the  gathering  twilight,  but  a  voice 
called  out  to  the  coachman,  '  Gallop  off,  coachman,  to  Am- 
sterdam! '  It  was  the  voice  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  which 
pronounced  those  words;  the  carriage  rolled  off  and  I  turned 
around  to  repair  to  the  Chinese  Pavilion.  For  what  pur- 
pose, Louisa,  I  shall  tell  you  another  time.  But  you  see 
that  if  the  Prince  of  Wales  pretended  to  be  ignorant  of  the 
flight  of  his  sister  and  her  husband,  it  was  sheer  dissimula- 
tion." 

"  Yes,  that  is  beyond  doubt,"  exclaimed  Princess  Amelia. 
"  It  was  they.  They  have  gone  to  Amsterdam,  to  appear  there 
in  public  as  a  wedded  pair,  and  thus  force  us  to  recognize 
their  union.  It  was  a  well-devised  trick  and  we  will  most 
probably  be  brought  to  terms.  We  must  investigate  all  these 
things  more  closely;  now  it  is  high  time  to  return  home,  for 
my  husband  may  ask  for  us  and  be  surprised  at  our  nonappear- 
ance.  Come  then,  young  people,  but  be  discreet  in  your 
manners,  that  our  servants  may  not  learn  of  your  betrothal 
until  the  father  has  given  his  consent  and  blessing.  Sir  Elec- 
tor, give  me  your  arm,  and  you,  Louisa,  follow  us  with  your 
good  uncle." 

They  left  the  pavilion  and  stepped  out  into  the  garden. 
The  torchbearers  still  stood  on  both  sides  of  the  portal,  and 
the  broad  glare  from  their  lights  illuminated  with  daylight 
splendor  the  countenances  of  both  pairs.  As  they  silently 


190  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

and  rapidly  moved  forward  a  dark  shadow  glided  forth  from 
the  rear  of  the  pavilion,  hastened  after  them  and  approached 
the  Elector,  who  was  engaged  in  most  earnest  low-toned  con- 
versation with  Princess  Amelia. 

"  Sir  Elector,  may  I  ask  for  one  word  with  you?  " 

The  Elector,  bowing,  requested  the  Princess's  permission 
to  leave  her  for  a  moment,  as  some  one  wished  to  speak  with 
him. 

"  It  is  Charles  Stuart,"  whispered  the  Princess.  "  Go  to 
him,  and  please  be  gentle  with  him.  Remember  that  he  is 
but  a  child,  and  unhappy.  Go,  we  will  proceed  slowly." 

The  Elector  bowed  again  and  stood  still  until  the  three 
had  passed  him. 

"  Here  I  am,  Sir  Prince  of  Wales,"  he  said,  after  the  others 
had  gone  too  far  to  be  able  to  hear  anything  of  their  dis- 
course. "  You  have  something  to  say  to  me,  and  I  am  at 
your  service." 

"  Yes,  I  have  something  to  say  to  you,"  murmured  the 
Prince,  in  a  low,  melancholy  voice,  seeming  to  speak  with  dif- 
ficulty. "  You  have  conquered,  Sir  Elector,  you  have  crushed 
all  my  hopes,  and  left  me  nothing  to  look  forward  to  but  a 
joyless  future.  I  have  good  reason  to  hate  you,  and  perhaps 
I  do,  but  it  will  in  no  way  alleviate  my  own  misfortunes  if 
I  should  slay  you  to-morrow  in  mortal  conflict.  It  would  do 
me  no  earthly  good,  for,  instead  of  gaining  me  Louisa's  love, 
it  would  insure  her  hatred  if  I  should  imbrue  my  hand  in  her 
lover's  blood." 

"  And  therefore,"  said  the  Elector  softly — "  and  therefore 
you  would  not  lift  your  weapon  against  me?  Prince  Charles 
of  Wales,  permit  me  now  to  speak  a  few  words.  It  was  I  who 
this  morning  challenged  you.  I  now  beg  you  to  accept  my 
apology." 

"Will  you  not  esteem  me  a  coward  if  I  do?"  asked  the 
Prince.  "  Ah,  believe  me,  sir,  at  this  moment  life  has  but  few 
charms  for  me.  I  have  not  only  this  day  made  shipwreck 
of  all  my  hopes  and  wishes,  but  I  feel  that  I  have  disgraced 
myself.  Ah,  I  feel  that  you  were  right  in  saying  that  I  am 
still  but  a  child,  for  I  admit  that  I  acted  like  a  child  in  play- 
ing the  part  of  a  man  and  seeking  to  win  a  woman's  love!  Say 


THE  CONFESSION.  191 

that  you  will  not  regard  me  as  a  coward  if  I  give  up  this 
duel?" 

"  My  Prince,"  replied  Frederick  William  gravely,  "  the 
history  of  your  house  is  known  of  all  men,  and  no  one  has 
ever  attributed  cowardliness  to  the  character  of  the  noble 
Stuart.  Especially  but  a  slight  acquaintance  with  yourself 
is  needed  to  impress  one  with  the  conviction  that  in  your 
breast  beats  a  manly  heart." 

"  You  are  magnanimous  to  a  fallen  foe,"  said  the  Prince 
bitterly.  "  To  the  child  of  to-day  you  grant  a  manly  heart. 
I  thank  you,  sir,  and  hope  to  prove  some  day  that  a  brave  heart 
does  beat  in  my  breast.  Believe  me,  the  future  looks  dark 
before  me,  and  far  preferable  to  my  feelings  seems  the  sud- 
den death  inflicted  by  a  thrust  from  your  sword  to  the  slow 
death  inflicted  by  the  hundred  little  wounds  and  needle- 
pricks  of  fate.  But  I  may  not  die  now.  Life  is  for  me  a  duty. 
To  this  consciousness  have  the  sad  events  of  to-night  roused 
me.  I  must  live  for  my  family,  for  the  honor  of  my  house! 
I  must  wander  as  a  suppliant  from  court  to  court,  entreat- 
ing help  and  succor  for  my  father  and  my  kingdom!  To- 
morrow, early,  I  shall  set  out  with  my  mother  and  sisters  for 
France,  and  who  knows  whether  I  shall  ever  return  or  ever 
again  behold  my  native  land  ?  The  Stuarts  are  not  a  fortunate 
race,  and  misfortune  seems  the  only  friend  who  has  never 
proved  untrue  to  them.  Farewell,  Sir  Elector,  you  have 

conquered  me!  May  she  be  happy  and  tell  her Ah, 

I  long  once  more  to  press  her  hand  and  bid  her  a  last  good- 
by!" 

"  Do  so,  your  highness,"  said  the  Elector.  "  Be  pleased 
to  accompany  me  and  join  the  ladies,  who  are  now  in  the 
avenue.  We  will  soon  overtake  them,  and,  if  you  say  so,  I  will 
desire  the  Princess  to  receive  your  farewells  while  we  go  for- 
ward in  advance." 

"  You  do  not  even  honor  me  by  being  jealous,  and  would 
yourself  procure  me  an  interview  with  the  Princess,"  sighed 
the  Prince.  "  My  heart,  though,  is  so  humbled  that  it  must 
silently  submit  to  all.  Come  then,  Sir  Elector,  let  us  follow 
the  ladies." 

They  moved  swiftly  forward,  neither  of  them  uttering 


192  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

a  word — the  Elector  was  silent  through  delicacy,  the  Prince 
of  Wales  through  gnawing  grief. 

When  they  had  caught  up  with  the  ladies  the  Elector 
quickened  his  pace,  and  the  Prince  of  Wales  halted.  The 
red  glare  of  the  torches  lighted  his  face,  and  as  it  was  thus 
exposed  to  the  view  of  the  Princesses,  who  turned  around, 
it  seemed  to  them  as  if  he  had  suddenly  grown  many  years 
older,  as  if  they  looked  upon  the  careworn  countenance  of  a 
full-grown  man. 

"  I  will  go  to  him,  I  will  take  leave  of  him,"  whispered 
Louisa.  "  All  stay  here  and  wait  for  me." 

She  turned  quickly  around  and  went  to  meet  the  Prince, 
who  slowly  approached  her. 

"  My  dear  cousin,"  she  said  kindly,  "  you  have  called  me, 
and  here  I  am.  If  you  should  ever  hereafter  need  to  call 
upon  me  for  a  proof  of  friendship  or  cousinly  love,  be  assured 
I  shall  joyfully  hasten  to  respond  to  your  call.  I  hope  you 
know  and  will  never  forget  that  I  love  you  sincerely,  as  only 
a  sister  can  love  a  brother." 

"  Balsam  for  wounds,"  he  murmured  softly.  "  Thank 
you,  Louisa,  for  all  your  goodness  and  forbearance,  thank 
you  for  all  the  exquisite  delight  you  have  given  me,  and  also 
for  the  pangs  of  this  hour.  They  will  steel  me  and  ripen  me 
into  manhood,  and  if  I  now  courageously  battle  with  adversity, 
the  thought  of  you  will  be  the  secret  source  whence  I  shall 
draw  inspiration  and  strength.  I  have  much  to  atone  for,  but 
I  will  do  it.  To  that  end,  Louisa,  give  me  your  blessing.  I 
have  sorely  sinned  against  you;  pardon  the  repentant  wretch, 
who  now  kneels  with  a  broken,  contrite  heart  and  implores 
your  forgiveness." 

He  fell  upon  his  knees  before  the  Princess,  and  seizing  her 
hand,  pressed  it  to  his  lips  and  covered  it  with  his  kisses  and 
his  tears. 

"  Prince  Charles,"  whispered  Louisa  softly,  "  I  can  not 
say  but  that  I  have  felt  aggrieved  by  your  conduct  toward  me, 
but  it  becomes  poor,  erring  mortals  to  be  gentle  and  forbear- 
ing toward  one  another.  Freely,  then,  I  forgive  you  all  your 
offenses  against  me,  in  consideration  of  your  misfortunes. 
Do  not  despond,  dear  cousin,  but  hope  for  better  and  happier 


THE  CONFESSION.  193 

days.  Be  up,  be  strong,  reflect  that  the  eye  of  the  world  and 
of  posterity  is  upon  you.  Bear  your  cross  bravely,  and,  believe 
me,  it  will  be  some  day  transformed  into  a  crown." 

"  Maybe  so,  cousin,"  sighed  the  Prince  of  Wales,  slowly 
rising  from  his  knees,  "  but  God  alone  knows  whether  this 
crown  will  be  of  gold  or  thorns.  Be  it  as  it  may,  I  must  de- 
vote my  life  to  struggling  for  its  attainment.  You  shall  hear 
of  me,  Louisa,  and  if  they  tell  you  that  Charles  Stuart  has 
fallen  in  defense  of  his  father  and  his  throne,  then  know  that 
the  last  word  whispered  by  his  dying  lips  was  your  name." 

"  Oh,  my  dear  cousin,  you  will  not  die;  you  are  still  so 
young  and  have  so  much  to  live  for.  Surely  God  in  his  mercy 
will  reseat  your  father  upon  his  throne,  and  restore  to  him 
the  love  of  his  people." 

"  May  your  words  prove  true,  cousin.  Let  us  part  now, 
since  part  we  must.  Farewell,  Louisa,  bright  star  of  my 
youth,  farewell!  Be  happy,  and  when  so  think  kindly  of  poor 
Charles  Stuart,  who,  like  the  wandering  Jew,  will  be  travers- 
ing the  globe,  seeking  rest  and  finding  none.  Go,  Louisa,  go 
where  light  and  love  await  you,  go  and  leave  me  behind  to 
night  and  darkness! " 

"  Farewell,  Cousin  Charles,  and  may  God  grant  you  peace 
and  joy! " 

As  she  gently  whispered  these  words,  she  turned  and  with- 
drew; the  red  torchlight  revealed  her  slender,  graceful  form, 
and  he  felt  bitterly  that  he  had  lost  her  forever.  Long  he  gazed 
after  her,  until  the  whole  party  had  vanished  from  sight,  then 
with  a  deep  sigh  he  quickly  took  the  path  leading  to  Bosch, 
where  he  knew  his  mother  was  expecting  him. 

Early  next  morning  a  little  sailing  vessel  put  to  sea  from 
the  coast  of  Scheveningen,  steering  for  France.  With  all 
sails  hoisted,  lightly  and  proudly  she  danced  over  the  waters. 
From  the  top  mast  side  by  side  floated  the  Dutch  and  English 
flags,  for  on  board  that  ship  were  the  Queen  of  England,  her 
family,  and  the  Prince  of  Wales,  who  now  with  heart-sickness 
was  just  setting  forth  on  his  pilgrimage  in  search  of  his  lost 
country  and  throne. 


194  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 


IX. — THE  WEDDING. 

THE  same  morning  two  traveling  equipages  drove  off  from 
the  Stadtholder's  court  at  The  Hague,  taking  the  road  for 
Amsterdam;  within  sat  Princess  Amelia,  her  daughter,  the 
Elector  Frederick  William,  and  a  few  lords  and  ladies  of  the 
court. 

Princess  Louisa  had  begged  of  her  mother  as  a  wedding 
present  to  be  allowed  to  accompany  that  Princess  and  act  as 
mediator  between  her  and  the  beloved  fugitives,  and  the  Elec- 
tor had  obtained  permission  from  both  ladies  to  act  as  their 
escort. 

They  repaired,  therefore,  to  Amsterdam,  and  in  the  palace 
there  took  place  the  first  meeting  between  Princess  Amelia 
and  the  young  married  pair.  Prince  William,  his  wife  hang- 
ing upon  his  arm,  stepped  up  to  his  mother  with  humble  mien, 
and  with  the  devotion  of  a  son  besought  her  forgiveness  for 
his  disobedience,  which  naught  but  his  love  could  excuse. 

"  And  you,  daughter? "  asked  Princess  Amelia,  fixing 
her  large  imperious  eyes  upon  the  beautiful  and  peculiarly 
feminine  face  of  Mary,  who  ventured  to  meet  her  mother- 
in-law's  fierce  looks  with  smiling  tranquillity,  "  have  you  no 
word  of  repentance  to  speak  ?  " 

"  No,  most  gracious  mother,"  boldly  replied  the  Princess. 
"I  find  no  utterance  for  penitent  speeches,  because,  to  tell 
your  grace  the  truth,  I  do  not  repent  of  what  we  have  done! 
We  had  been  married  for  four  years,  and  the  Bible  says  that 
man  and  wife  should  leave  father  and  mother  to  live  together. 
So  we  have  only  done  what  all  married  people  are  commanded 
by  Scripture  to  do." 

Princess  Amelia  gave  her  a  look  of  indignant  astonish- 
ment. It  was  the  first  time  that  any  one  had  dared  to  oppose 
her  so  boldly,  and  to  defy  her  anger  with  quiet  equanimity. 
She  was  already  in  the  act  of  making  a  passionate  reply,  when 
the  Elector  softly  laid  his  hand  upon  her  shoulder,  and  Louisa 
approached  with  pleading  looks. 

"  Gracious  aunt,"  said  Frederick  William,  "  you  see  that 
these  young  people  are  minded  to  lead  pious,  godly  lives,  regu- 


a 

a    s 


o      s: 

3   ! 

s 

Q 

w     s 

B  I 


THE   WEDDING.  195 

lating  themselves  by  the  precepts  of  the  Bible.  Now,  a  leading 
command  of  the  sacred  Scriptures  says,  '  Honor  thy  father 
and  thy  mother.'  I  am  sure,  therefore,  that  these  dear  fugi- 
tives will  make  it  their  most  hallowed  task  to  live  in  obedience 
to  this  law." 

"  Certainly,  oh,  certainly  we  will !  "  cried  Prince  William. 
He  drew  his  gently  resisting  young  wife  up  to  his  mother,  and, 
kneeling  before  her,  almost  compelled  Mary  to  assume  the  same 
attitude  before  her  proud  mother-in-law,  since  he  held  her 
hand  firmly  in  his  own. 

"  Forgiveness,  gracious  mother!  "  cried  the  Prince,  in  ten- 
der tones.  "  Pardon  our  love,  and  be  assured  you  will  ever 
find  in  us  most  reverential,  obedient,  and  submissive  chil- 
dren." 

"  Be  kind,  my  dear  mother,"  whispered  Princess  Louisa, 
pressing  her  mother's  hands  to  her  lips.  "  You  have  given 
me  a  bridal  gift  in  allowing  me  to  accompany. you  here;  but 
one  pearl  is  still  lacking  to  make  my  gift  perfect.  Be  pleased 
now  to  grant  me  the  pearl  of  forgiveness  for  my  dear  brother 
and  sister." 

"  Well,  be  it  so,"  said  Princess  Amelia  with  a  smile,  which, 
however,  was  a  little  forced.  "  I  will  forgive;  I  will  believe 
in  your  obedience  and  filial  love.  Arise,  come  to  my  arms, 
and  be  heartily  welcome,  you  bad  runaways!  " 

She  tenderly  drew  to  her  heart  the  young  couple,  who  had 
promptly  arisen,  and,  as  she  imprinted  a  kiss  on  Princess 
Mary's  broad,  open  brow,  she  said  smilingly,  "  Princess  Wil- 
liam of  Orange,  your  apartments  in  the  Stadtholder's  court 
at  The  Hague  are  ready  for  you,  and  if  you  choose  you  can 
this  evening  upon  our  return  take  possession  of  them."  * 

*  Princess  Mary  of  England,  however,  did  not  long  enjoy  the  hap- 
piness of  her  youthful  marriage.  A  few  months  after  their  union  Prince 
Frederick  Henry  died,  and  his  son  William  was  declared  Stadtholder  by 
the  States-General  of  Holland.  Princess  Mary  was  therefore  the  wife  of 
the  reigning  Prince,  and  was  not  at  all  ill  disposed  to  rule  a  little  her- 
self and  take  her  revenge  upon  her  mother-in-law,  who  had  hitherto 
been  undisputed  mistress  in  her  husband's  court.  But  Princess  Amelia 
proved  the  stronger  of  the  two,  and  soon  contrived  to  wrest  the  scepter 
from  the  weak  hands  of  her  daughter-ir/-law,  and  subject  her  to  herself. 


196  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

Happy  weeks  of  blissful  companionship  now  followed  for 
the  young  betrothed,  the  Elector  Frederick  William  and  the 
Princess  Louisa  Henrietta.  The  very  next  day  after  his 
betrothal  the  Elector  appeared  at  the  session  of  the  States- 
General,  in  order  to  pay  his  respects  to  the  puissant  lords 
there  assembled,  and  to  make  to  them  in  person  the  announce- 
ment of  his  engagement  to  the  Princess  of  Orange,  also  to  pro- 
pose to  them  to  enter  into  a  firm  and  abiding  league  with  him- 
self, and  to  aid  him  in  repelling  the  Swedes  in  their  unjust 
and  unwarrantable  efforts  to  wrest  from  him  his  Pomeranian 
possessions. 

The  States-General  found  a  peculiar  delight  in  contem- 
plating the  noble  young  Prince,  who  came  into  their  midst 
in  such  an  open,  high-spirited  manner  to  lay  before  them  his 
plans  and  wishes;  and  at  that  very  session  two  important 
things  were  determined.  In  the  first  place,  the  States  declared 
their  joyful  acquiescence  in  the  alliance  of  the  Princess  of 
Orange  with  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg,  and  unanimously 
voted  the  Princess  an  annual  pension  of  twenty  thousand 
guilders. 

The  marriage  with  the  Princess  Louisa  Henrietta,  which 
in  the  beginning  had  been  only  a  question  of  policy,  had  now 
become  to  the  Elector  an  affair  of  the  heart,  and  old  Burgs- 
dorf  saw  with  amazement,  and  not  without  a  bitter  feeling  of 
jealousy,  the  great  alteration  which  this  engagement  with  the 
Princess  of  Orange  had  wrought  in  his  master's  nature.  Fred- 
erick William  was  cheerful  and  placid,  his  handsome  face  was 
radiant  with  animation,  and  in  his  eyes,  when  he  fixed  them 
upon  the  Princess,  shone  such  a  beam  of  love  and  joy  that 
.ill  must  see  how  heartily  he  was  devoted  to  his  betrothed. 

"  If  it  goes  on  so,"  growled  the  high  chamberlain  to  him- 
self, "the  Elector,  whom  I  hoped  to  see  such  a  renowned 
warrior,  will  be  nothing  but  a  hero  of  the  slipper,  and  my 

Prince  William  died,  after  a  short,  happy  marriage,  in  1650,  even  before 
the  birth  of  his  first  child,  afterward  William  III.  of  Orange.  Princess 
Amelia  managed  to  be  appointed  guardian  to  her  grandson,  casting  aside 
entirely  her  daughter-in-law's  claim  to  the  regency.  Princess  Mary  led  a 
melancholy,  dependent  life  under  her  mother-in-law's  regency,  and  died 
in  the  year  1660.  ^ 


THE  WEDDING.  197 

lady  will  be  for  chasing  us  all  out  of  the  palace  with  that 
slipper.  But  I  will  not  suffer  it! "  he  cried  aloud;  "  no,  the 
fair  lady  shall  not  turn  my  Elector's  heart  from  me,  and  it 
shall  never  be  said  that  old  Conrad  von  Burgsdorf  has  been 
unhorsed  by  a  woman.  I  shall  keep  a  sharp  eye  upon  her, 
and  if  there  is  not  a  speedy  end  to  this  love-making  after  mar- 
riage, old  Burgsdorf  will  lay  his  countermines  and  try  to  blow 
up  this  fine  card  house  of  love!  He  is  a  sly  old  fellow,  and  my 
lady  will  find  him  a  match  for  her.  Look  out,  Princess  Louisa 
of  Orange;  see  that  you  do  not  cross  my  path,  or  you  shall 
learn  what  it  is  to  have  a  contest  with  an  old  iron-eater  like 
myself! " 

Princess  Louisa  suspected  nothing  of  this  jealous  rage 
on  the  part  of  the  high  chamberlain.  She  had  for  him  as 
for  every  one  else  a  gracious  nod,  a  winning  smile.  She  saw 
the  whole  world  through  a  rose-colored  medium  of  hope  and 
love,  and  it  seemed  to  her  as  if  she  ought  to  ask  pardon  from 
every  mourner,  from  every  afflicted  person,  because  she  felt 
so  very  happy,  because,  when  her  eyes  now  filled  with  tears, 
they  were  tears  of  delight  and  grateful  sensibility. 

The  Elector,  too,  was  happy  and  contented,  and  yet  there 
was  one  thing  which  cast  a  shadow  upon  his  cheerfulness. 
He  had  no  money,  and  only  a  few  days  after  his  engagement 
Burgsdorf  had  come  with  melancholy  mien  to  announce 
to  him,  that  after  all  the  expenses  of  their  brilliant  entree 
had  been  met,  the  traveling  purse  was  entirely  empty  and 
urgently  called  for  replenishing. 

"  Wisely  spoken,  old  man,"  said  Frederick  William;  "  this 
conclusion  does  honor  to  your  head.  Only  be  pleased  to  in- 
form me  in  what  manner  this  replenishing  may  be  effected." 

"  I  have  already  held  a  consultation  on  the  subject  with 
von  Schwerin  and  von  Seidel,"  returned  Burgsdorf,  sighing, 
"  for  no  time  is  to  be  lost." 

"  And  the  result  of  your  deliberations?  " 

"  Rather  unsatisfactory,  your  highness.  The  treasury,  as 
3rou  know,  is  empty,  and  such  heavy  taxes  have  been  already 
imposed  upon  the  people  that  any  increase  would  be  impos- 
sible. The  last  resource  seems  to  be  that  your  highness  should 
once  more  turn  to  Prussia  and  apply  to  that  duchy  for  money. 


198  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

Herr  von  Schwerin  has  already  drawn  up  a  petition  to  the 
Sovereign  States  for  the  grant  of  fifty  thousand  dollars.  I 
have  the  paper  here,  and,  if  your  grace  requires  it,  can  lay  it 
before  you  for  your  signature." 

"  How  prompt  you  all  are  when  the  question  is  about 
money  matters,"  said  Frederick  William  smilingly,  after  he 
had  read  the  paper;  "  but  when  people  ask  for  money  they 
should  not  speak  so  independently  and  peremptorily.  It 
would  be  better  to  adopt  a  little  more  finesse  and  softness 
of  style." 

"  But  your  grace  is  the  master,  and  the  counselors  your 
officials  and  servants." 

"  My  officials,  yes — my  servants,  no!  If  the  servant  has 
the  power  to  give  or  withhold  money  from  his  lord,  does  it 
not  prove  him  the  master  of  his  master?  The  unhappy  state 
of  things  in  Prussia  empowers  the  States  to  control  their 
monetary  affairs,  which  is  a  sad  drag  upon  me,  for  these  lords 
are  conceited,  stupid  folk,  who  thrust  their  noses  into  every- 
thing and  fancy  that  no  one  is  so  wise  as  themselves.  All 
this  must  be  altered  in  time.  But  now  it  behooves  us  to  take 
things  as  they  are,  and  coax  where  we  can  not  command. 
Hand  me  the  paper.  I  will  sign  it,  and  add  a  little  nota  bene." 

The  Elector  took  the  pen,  and,  after  signing  his  name 
with  dashing  flourishes,  appended  this  postscript:  "  You  will 
confer  a  great  favor  by  using  your  utmost  diligence  that  the 
money  be  promptly  forthcoming,  and  be  remitted  in  bills  of 
exchange  upon  Amsterdam.  Such  attention  will  be  most 
graciously  acknowledged."  * 

"  God  grant  that  the  councillors  may  obey  orders,"  sighed 
ihe  high  chancellor.  "  We  certainly  have  most  pressing  need 
for  money,  for  I  am  constrained  to  admit  to  your  highness 
that  the  mynheers  here  in  Holland  are  very  sly  foxes,  and 
things  are  not  going  on  so  swimmingly  as  I  had  hoped.  I 
went  yesterday  to  Amsterdam  to  purchase  the  lace,  velvet, 
and  satin  for  your  grace's  wedding  clothes,  as  well  as  the 
needed  pearls  and  precious  stones.  But — could  you  have 
believed  it  possible? — these  tradesmen  all  expressed  them- 
selves as  joyfully  ready  to  fill  the  orders,  and  swore  that  they 
*  See  von  Orlich,  History  of  Prussia,  vol.  i,  p.  534. 


THE  WEDDING.  199 

would  furnish  everything  of  the  finest  and  best.  But  they 
made  one  shameless  condition:  they  would  only  deliver  their 
goods  for  cash!  " 

"  Shameless  the  condition  is! "  cried  the  Elector,  laugh- 
ing, "  but  not  silly,  for  it  is  very  possible  that  we  might  have 
asked  for  a  long  credit.  Let  us  hope,  then,  that  the  States 
of  Prussia  will  this  time  listen  to  reason,  and  soon  transmit 
to  us  the  longed-for  bills  of  exchange."  And  this  hope  must 
have  been  fulfilled,  for  in  due  time  the  jewelers,  silk  merchants, 
and  tailors  delivered  their  wares,  and  on  the  7th  of  December, 
1G46,  were  solemnized  the  nuptials  of  the  young  Electoral 
pair. 

A  quiet  wedding  it  was,  for  the  sickness  of  Prince  Fred- 
erick Henry,  the  bride's  father,  had  grown  worse,  and  his 
death  was  thought  to  be  imminent — a  quiet  wedding,  for 
Louisa  Henrietta  loved  not  noisy  parade,  and  her  noble, 
thoughtful  spirit  needed  no  outward  splendor  to  throw  sun- 
light upon  her  love  and  happiness.  She  had  sunlight  within, 
and  her  smiling  lips  and  sweet  silence  spoke  more  eloquently 
of  inward  bliss  than  the  loudest  merriment  could  have  done. 
But  if  it  were  only  a  quiet  wedding  yet  it  was  stately  and  mag- 
nificent enough,  and  the  young  Elector  could  not  forego  the 
opportunity  of  displaying  to  the  mynheers  his  princely  dig- 
nity in  all  its  pomp.  His  coat  was  of  white  satin,  but  little 
of  the  material  was  to  be  seen,  so  thickly  was  it  set  with  pearls 
and  sparkling  gems,  so  magnificently  was  it  embroidered  with 
gold,  all  the  seams  even  being  trimmed  with  gold  lace.  The 
knee  breeches,  too,  were  of  white  satin,  richly  embroidered 
with  gold,  set  off  at  the  knee  and  side  seams  with  diamonds 
and  lace.  He  wore  white  silk  stockings,  and  on  the  red-heeled 
shoes  glittered  two  buckles  set  with  sparkling  diamonds. 

Not  less  luxurious  was  the  bride's  toilet.  Her  dress  was 
of  silver  brocade  quite  covered  with  Brussels  point  lace  of 
the  most  delicate  texture,  ingeniously  strewed  with  pearls 
and  diamonds.  Behind  her  nestled  a  gold-embroidered  satin 
train  eight  yards  long,  borne  by  eight  young  countesses.  On 
her  head  she  wore  a  crown,  studded  with  pearls  and  dia- 
monds. A  veil  of  the  finest  gold  tissue  fell  down  from  the 
crown  and  enveloped  her  whole  figure.  They  were  a  glorious 


200  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

couple.  Love,  youth,  beauty,  and  health  beamed  from  their 
countenances,  and  all  who  looked  on  them  rejoiced,  but  most 
of  all  rejoiced  the  pair  themselves. 

When  the  Elector  stood  before  the  altar,  hand  in  hand 
with  his  bride,  and  when  both  had  joyfully  and  distinctly 
pronounced  the  binding  "  yes,"  then  with  beaming  eyes 
looked  Frederick  William  upon  his  bride,  and  exclaimed  to 
himself:  "  Blessed  be  this  hour,  which  gives  to  my  heart  a 
wife,  to  my  people  a  noble  Sovereign!  Oh,  may  she  and  I 
succeed  in  making  my  people  happy,  my  country  great  and 
prosperous! " 


BOOK  III. 
I. — THE  EETUEN  FBOM  PRAGUE. 

TO-DAY  all  Berlin  was  in  a  state  of  joyful  excitement  and 
uproar,  everywhere  the  houses  were  gayly  decorated,  and  the 
streets,  which  had  been  scrupulously  cleansed  and  swept,  were 
full  of  men,  and  these  men  streaming  from  all  quarters  in  the 
direction  of  the  castle  square  and  the  pleasure  garden. 

Many,  indeed,  had  merely  allowed  themselves  to  be 
dragged  along  by  the  current,  and  followed  the  others  without 
knowing  what  was  going  on;  and  now,  seeing  that  all  made 
a  halt  on  the  castle  square,  they  gazed  curiously  up  at  the 
castle,  as  if  expecting  thence  an  explanation  of  this  unwonted 
stir.  But  the  castle  frowned  down  in  imperturbable  silence, 
and  the  masons  and  carpenters,  who  had  been  at  work  some 
weeks  adding  wings  to  the  old  building,  quietly  pursued  their 
labors,  not  at  all  affected  by  the  bustle  around  them,  or  per- 
haps animated  to  increased  efforts  to  put  the  finishing  strokes 
to  a  balcony  upon  which  they  were  at  work. 

"And  yet  something  is  to  pay,"  said  shoemaker  Wendt 
to  tailor  Fiirberg,  who  stood  beside  him.  "  I  stick  to  it  that 
something  is  to  pay.  Only  see,  the  journeymen  masons  are 
dressed  up  just  as  fine  as  if  it  were  Sunday,  and  the  master 
builder  Memmhart,  who  is  just  speaking  with  them,  has  ar- 
rayed himself  in  such  gorgeous  attire  that  you  would  fancy 
him  to  be  some  nobleman — a  baron  or  a  count  perhaps." 

"  As  if  that  were  anything  strange,"  said  the  tailor,  shrug- 
ging his  shoulders.  "  Bless  you,  there  are  plenty  of  barons 
and  counts  that  would  be  glad  enough  to  change  places  with 
the  master  builder  Memmhart;  for,  you  see,  he  has  work  and 

201 


202  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

an  office  that  furnishes  him  an  ample  support,  while  the  noble- 
men, impoverished  by  the  long  war,  have  no  means  of  restor- 
ing their  ruined  estates  or  rebuilding  their  burned  mansions. 
They  therefore  drag  out  a  miserable  existence,  for  they  know 
no  way  of  helping  themselves,  and  have  no  money  to  pay  for 
the  services  of  others." 

"Wist  you,  master,  that  you  are  holding  seditious  dis- 
course ?  "  asked  the  shoemaker,  shocked.  "  Did  anybody  ever 
hear  of  such  a  thing?  You  speak  of  barons  and  counts  as  if 
they  were  our  equals,  and  not  exalted  lords  standing  upright, 
while  we  must  bow  to  the  earth;  whose  it  is  to  command, 
while  we  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  obey." 

"  Must,"  cried  the  obstinate  tailor,  "  we  do  so  because 
we  are  base,  cowardly  fellows,  ignorant  of  our  own  conse- 
quence. Nobody  talks  any  more  of  '  must/  though.  The 
commons  are  just  as  good  as  the  nobles,  and  the  tradesman 
has  his  rights  as  well  as  the  prince.  That  comes  from  our 
having  a  constitution,  master;  just  laws,  ratified  by  the  Elec- 
tor, which  everybody  must  observe.  Now,  it  is  written  in  the 
constitution  in  black  and  white  that  nothing  can  be  done  with- 
out the  consent  of  the  cities  and  States.  And,  you  see,  the 
States  consist  of  the  nobility,  but  the  cities  are  we — we,  shoe- 
makers, tailors,  locksmiths — in  short,  all  the  tradesmen  and 
burghers  who  compose  a  city,  and  our  magistrates  are  noth- 
ing more  than  our  representatives,  and,  if  you  choose,  our 
mouths,  by  means  of  which  we  give  our  opinions  and  our  votes. 
And  if  our  votes  oppose  the  wishes  of  the  States,  they  can  not 
be  accomplished,  and  therefore  I  have  reason  to  say  that  we 
burghers  and  tradesmen  are  just  as  good  as  the  noblemen 
and  squires." 

"  Say  so,  if  you  please,  master,"  retorted  the  shoemaker, 
shrugging  his  shoulders,  "  but  nobody  believes  you.  Mean- 
while, all  this  has  brought  us  no  nearer  learning  what  is  on 
hand  here,  and  why  the  streets  are  all  swept,  and  why — 
Just  look,  master,  there  come  all  the  magistrates  along  the 
high  road.  See,  they  are  dressed  in  their  black  robes,  and  are 
marching  direct  to  the  castle." 

"  Bless  me,  it  is  true!  There  they  come! "  cried  the 
tailor.  "  Hark  ye,  master,  I  will  burst  with  curiosity  if  I  do 


THE  RETURN  FROM  PRAGUE.         203 

not  find  out  the  meaning  of  all  this.  Good  luck!  suppose 
the  Electress  has  given  us  a  son  at  last,  and— 

"  Nonsense,"  returned  the  other,  smiling.  "  There  has 
been  no  mention  of  anything  of  the  kind  in  the  prayers  of  the 
Church  or  anywhere  else.  Since  the  little  Electoral  Prince 
died,  three  years  ago,  when  he  was  hardly  six  months  old, 
there  seems  to  have  been  no  hope  of  the  kind,  and  yet  it  would 

be  dreadful  if  the  Elector  should  die  without  heirs,  for 

But  see,  master,  there  is  old  Glaus,  the  beggar,  let  us  find  out 
from  him  the  cause  of  this  gathering." 

"  Yes,  indeed,  master,  that  we  will.  Let's  ask  old  Glaus. 
He  hears  the  very  grass  grow,  and  must  of  course  know  what 
is  going  on  here." 

The  two  citizens  forced  their  way  through  the  ever- 
thickening  throng,  and  approached  the  beggar,  who  had  just 
stationed  himself,  not  far  from  the  two  men,  near  the  portal 
leading  into  the  castle. 

"  Well,  old  Glaus! "  cried  tailor  Fiirberg,  greeting  with 
a  friendly  nod  a  pale,  haggard  man  in  a  long  gray  gown, 
"  just  tell  me  why  you  have  come  here,  and  why  we  are  all 
here." 

"  I  came  as  I  come  every  day,"  replied  Glaus  quietly. 
"You  know  I  have  my  stand  here,  and  no  beadle  or  rascal 
has  a  right  to  force  me  away,  nor  consequently  you  either." 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  the  tailor,  piqued.    "  Am  I  a  rascal  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  a  pretty  bad  one,"  replied  the  beggar  Glaus. 
"  You  carry  wicked,  seditious  thoughts  in  your  thick  skull 
and  talk  about  matters  that  you  know  as  little  of  as  that  ox 
of  the  new  balcony,  which  the  masons  there  are  building." 

"  You  are  right,  old  Glaus! "  cried  the  shoemaker,  laugh- 
ing; "  it  is  just  as  you  say  with  Master  Fiirberg." 

"  And  you  are  all  just  so,"  said  the  beggar  earnestly,  while 
his  large  hollow  eyes  swept  over  the  multitude  that  stood 
there  packed  together,  some  jesting  and  cheering,  others  snarl- 
ing and  gruff.  "  You  are  all  alike — curious  but  stupid,  lazy 
but  captious." 

"  Hush,  old  Glaus!  "  cried  the  tailor;  "  hold  your  slander- 
ous tongue,  or,  I  tell  you,  it  will  go  hard  with  you,  and  you 
shall  at  last  be  brought  to  account  for  your  sorcery  and  deal- 
14 


204  TDE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

ings  with  the  devil,  for  we  all  know  that  you  have  to  do  with 
witchcraft." 

"  Yes,  yes,  that  is  true,"  screamed  a  couple  of  voices  in 
the  crowd,  which  closed  around  them.  "  Yes,  Glaus  is  a  queer 
sort  of  a  beggar.  The  devil  is  in  it — he  is  a  wizard." 

"  He  is  a  star-gazer!  "  shouted  Elwald,  the  cobbler.  "  Yes- 
terday evening,  as  I  was  going  across  the  castle  square,  there 
stood  Glaus  on  a  stone  near  the  cathedral.  He  did  not  take  any 
notice  of  me,  but  kept  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  sky  and  the  stars; 
his  arms  were  stretched  out,  and  I  heard  him  talk  aloud,  al- 
though not  a  creature  was  by.  I  thought  I  would  just  find 
out  what  he  was  about,  and  so  crept  up  closer.  Only  think, 
as  I  live,  he  was  talking  to  the  stars,  and  carrying  on  for  all  the 
world  just  like  the  fellow  in  the  puppet  play,  and  holding 
a  most  loverlike  conversation  with  a  woman  with  large  black 
eyes,  yet  withal  invisible;  and  once  he  called  upon  her  name 
as  tenderly  as  if  he  had  been  a  turtle  dove  and  it  was 

"  Hush  or  I  will  choke  you!  "  shrieked  the  beggar,  spring- 
ing upon  the  narrator,  and  furiously  grasping  him  round  the 
neck.  "  Dare  not  pronounce  her  name,  you  mean,  contempti- 
ble eavesdropper! " 

"  I  will,  though! "  screamed  the  other,  striving  to  free 
himself  from  the  beggar's  clutch.  "  He  told  his  sweetheart's 
name,  and  it  was  the  same  as  Father  Isaac's  wife,  Rebec " 

"It  is  your  own  fault!"  cried  the  beggar,  as  with  one 
blow  he  sent  the  burgher  reeling,  causing  the  blood  to  gush 
from  nose  and  mouth. 

One  yell  of  fury  from  the  mob,  and  the  wildest  hubbub 
ensued.  Everybody  pressed  to  the  front,  everybody  longed 
to  administer  a  cuff  to  the  beggar  who  had  dared  to  insult 
a  burgher.  A  hundred  clinched  fists  were  raised,  ready  to 
inflict  vengeance,  to  crush  the  miscreant. 

But  where  was  he?  What  had  become  of  him  and  the 
stricken  burgher? 

There,  in  the  midst  of  this  knot  of  men,  on  the  steps  of 
the  marble  staircase  leading  up  to  the  Electoral  mansion, 
stood  the  two.  The  poor  beaten  man  sat  half  fainting  on  the 
lowest  step,  with  closed  eyes,  resting  his  head  against  one  of 
the  stone  pillars  supporting  the  iron  railings.  His  whole 


THE  RETURN  FROM  PRAGUE.         205 

face  was  swollen,  and  the  blood  still  poured  from  his  nose. 
Before  him  knelt  the  beggar,  with  countenance  pale  as  death 
and  tears  in  his  eyes.  "  Forgive  me,  master,  please  forgive 
me,"  he  pleaded,  with  folded  hands.  "  The  evil  spirit  came 
upon  me,  once  more  the  devil  had  power  over  me." 

"  He  is  a  wizard!  a  sorcerer!  " 

"  Only  see,  men! "  shouted  one,  forcing  his  way  through 
the  crowd,  "  he  has  given  Master  Ewald  such  a  cruel  blow 
that  he  will  die  of  it!  The  old  sorcerer  has  dealt  him  such 
a  blow  on  the  face  that  a  blood  vessel  must  surely  have  burst, 
for,  only  see,  the  blood  pours  forth  in  streams!  " 

"  Give  me  a  cloth,  somebody! "  called  out  the  beggar 
piteously.  "  Good  heavens!  don't  stand  there  staring,  but 
help  me  to  stanch  the  blood!  Give  me  a  handkerchief! " 

"  It  will  do  no  good!  "  screeched  old  Kurt,  the  leech,  who 
had  thrust  himself  into  the  group,  and  was  intently  examin- 
ing the  half-unconscious  cobbler.  "  He  is  doomed  to  death, 
and  Glaus  only  wants  the  handkerchief  to  conjure  with  and 
sell  poor  Ewald's  soul  to  the  devil.  He  says  himself  that  he  is 
in  league  with  the  devil,  and  so  he  must  every  now  and  then 
deliver  up  a  soul  to  his  master,  to  gain  a  longer  respite  for 
his  own.  He  picked  out  Ewald  because  he  is  a  wizard,  and 
knows  that  Ewald  is  a  bleeder,  and  therefore  easier  to  kill 
than  anybody  else." 

"  A  bleeder! "  cried  tailor  Fiirberg,  quite  astounded. 
"  Listen,  men,  the  cobbler  Ewald  is  a  bleeder!  " 

"What  is  that?"  shouted  the  populace.  "What  is  a 
bleeder?  Tell  us  what  that  means?  " 

"  Yes,  Kurt,  tell  us  what  that  means! "  said  the  tailor 
impatiently.  "  What  is  a  bleeder?  " 

-  Kurt  promptly  mounted  the  steps  and  stationed  himself 
beside  the  swooning  and  still  bleeding  cobbler,  about  whom 
nobody  gave  himself  any  further  trouble  save  Glaus. 

"What  is  a  bleeder?"  screamed  the  multitude.  "Just 
be  quiet! "  screamed  others,  "  that  we  may  hear  what  the 
leech  says! " 

"  Oh,  the  hard-hearted  crew! "  muttered  Glaus  to  him- 
self. "  Nobody  has  charity  enough  even  to  hand  me  a  hand- 
kerchief! " 


206  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

He  gazed  anxiously  upon  the  cobbler,  and,  seeing  the  blood 
still  flowed  unceasingly,  with  an  extreme  effort  of  strength 
tore  a  strip  off  his  own  long  gray  gown  and  pressed  it  to  the 
nose  of  the  swooning  man. 

"  A  bleeder!  "  shouted  Kurt,  the  leech — "  a  bleeder  is  a 
man  whose  blood  flows  so  freely,  even  from  a  pin  scratch, 
that  nothing  in  the  world  can  save  the  poor  creature  from 
bleeding  to  death.  There  are  whole  families  in  which  this 
disease  is  hereditary,  just  like  consumption.  Now,  Ewald  is 
a  bleeder,  so  he  must  needs  die  of  the  blow  given  him  by  beggar 
Claus." 

"  Ewald  must  die!  "  howled  the  mob.  "  Old  Glaus  is  his 
murderer!  Ewald  is  a  bleeder,  and  Claus  has  given  him  such 
a  cruel  blow  that  he  must  die!  " 

And  with  howls  and  yells  the  throng  pressed  closer, 
threatening  the  beggar  with  furious  gestures,  uplifted  fists, 
and  opprobrious  epithets. 

But  he  did  not  heed  these  demonstrations.  His  whole 
attention  was  absorbed  by  his  poor  prostrate  foe,  who  lay 
there  with  dim,  half-open  eyes,  deadly  pale,  the  stream  of 
blood  ever  gushing  from  his  nose. 

"  He  is  right,"  murmured  Claus  to  himself;  "  my  unlucky 
blow  must  have  burst  a  blood  vessel,  or  he  is  a  veritable 

bleeder  and  will  die,  and  I  will  be  his  murderer,  and No, 

no! "  he  broke  forth,  interrupting  himself,  "  it  shall  not  be! 
I  will  not  have  a  new  weight  of  guilt  upon  my  soul!  He  must 
get  well!  Yes,  he  must  get  well!  " 

He  continued,  lifting  up  his  eyes  to  heaven:  "Oh,  for- 
•give  me,  my  saint.  For  thy  sake  I  punished  the  mocker;  thou 
must  save  him! " 

He  quickly  put  his  hand  to  his  breast,  under  his  gown, 
and  when  he  withdrew  this  it  held  a  little  shining  object. 

"  Just  look  at  Claus! "  screamed  Kurt,  the  leech,  who  by 
a  commanding  movement  of  the  hand  sought  to  arrest  the 
progress  of  the  pushing  mob,  and  with  various  signs  and 
comical  gestures  gave  the  people  to  understand  that  they 
must  watch  the  beggar,  and  that  something  unheard  of  was 
about  to  happen. 

The  mob  actually  allowed  itself  to  be  controlled  by  these 


THE  RETURN  PROM  PRAGUE.         20? 

signs.  The  men  ceased  their  outcries,  and  with  outstretched 
necks  and  staring  eyes  gazed  across  at  the  group  on  the 
castle  stairs,  making  mute  signs  to  one  another  to  keep  still 
and  watch  Glaus.  The  beggar  heeded  nought  of  all  this,  saw 
not  with  what  burning  curiosity  the  crowd  gazed  upon  the 
little  golden  box,  artistically  wrought  of  Venetian  filigree 
work,  which  Glaus  held  in  his  hand,  softly  whispering  a  few 
words  to  himself  as  he  opened  it  and  drew  forth  a  tiny  flask. 
A  few  drops  from  this  bottle  he  poured  in  the  palm  of  his 
hand  and  rubbed  with  them  the  patient's  temples.  Then  he 
tore  another  strip  from  his  gown,  moistened  it  with  the  con- 
tents of  the  little  flask,  and  then  applied  it  to  the  cobbler's 
nose  and  mouth. 

"  Help  him,  my  saint! "  he  ejaculated,  hastily  restoring 
the  bottle  to  its  golden  receptacle,  and  again  concealing 
it  upon  his  breast.  "Help  him,  and  save  me  from  this 
crime! " 

At  this  moment  the  cobbler  opened  his  eyes,  cast  a  be- 
wildered look  around,  and  made  a  movement  as  if  to  rise;  but 
Glaus  forced  him  down  again  with  both  hands,  and  once 
more  pressed  the  moistened  rag  firmly  upon  his  nose  and 
mouth. 

The  spectators  saw  with  amazement  that  this  rag  was  not 
covered  with  blood  like  the  first,  and  from  the  front  ranks 
a  murmur  ran  through  the  whole  multitude,  one  repeating 
to  the  other:  "Yes,  Glaus  is  a  wizard.  He  is  in  league  with 
the  devil.  The  cobbler  is  a  bleeder,  and  yet  Glaus  stopped 
the  flow  of  blood  by  means  of  his  devilish  arts.  Yes,  yes,  he 
has  sold  himself  to  the  devil." 

And  the  majority  shrank  back  horror-stricken,  while  a 
few,  emboldened  by  curiosity,  pressed  forward,  railing  at 
the  sorcerer.  Kurt,  the  leech,  ever  sought  to  intensify  this 
rage.  "Did  you  ever  hear,  friends,"  he  squeaked  in  his 
cracked  voice,  "  of  a  beggar  living  upon  the  charities  of  others 
and  carrying  golden  trinkets  under  his  rags?  And  is  it  not 
unheard  of  that  such  a  sorry,  ignorant  beggar  should  spoil 
my  trade,  and  in  my  very  presence  dare  first  to  open  veins 
and  then  to  stop  the  flow  of  blood  by  his  wicked  art?  I  tell 
you  beware  of  the  sorcerer.  Let  us  arraign  him  before  the 


208  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

priests  and  magistrates,  for  he  is  a  wizard- and  will  bring  mis- 
fortune upon  our  town." 

"  Yes,  we  will  bring  him  to  account! "  shouted  the  mob. 
"  We  are  already  miserable  and  poor  enough,  and  the  sorcerer 
shall  not  plunge  us  still  deeper  into  misfortune!  " 

Glaus  replied  to  these  howls  only  by  a  shrug  of  the 
shoulders  and  a  glance  of  contempt,  and  then,  with  perfect 
composure,  turned  to  the  cobbler. 

"  Go  home,  poor  man,"  he  said,  "  drink  a  few  draughts 
of  cool  spring  water,  sleep  a  couple  of  hours,  and  all  will  be 
right.  But  first  I  humbly  beg  your  forgiveness  for  my  mis- 
deed. I  certainly  did  not  mean  to  injure  you.  I  hardly  knew 
what  I  did,  for  you  had  violated  my  most  sacred  feelings,  and, 
without  meaning  it  perhaps,  scoffed  at  my  grief.  Forgive 
me,  Ewald,  please  forgive  me." 

But  the  cobbler  rudely  repulsed  the  hand  which  Glaus 
imploringly  stretched  out  to  him.  "  I  will  remember  you, 
old  wizard,  for  the  blow  you  gave  me  to-day,"  he  said,  as  he 
allowed  the  leech  to  help  him  to  rise.  "  The  day  may  come 
when  I  can  pay  it  back  with  interest,  and  be  assured  that  I 
shall  manage  to  be  quits  with  you." 

"  Yes,  for  we  must  not  stay  in  the  devil's  debt!  "  screeched 
old  Kurt,  as  the  cobbler  with  difficulty  made  his  way  through 
the  throng,  endeavoring  to  creep  to  his  home.  "  Hark,  dear 
people,  we  must  not  stay  in  the  devil's  debt,  and  you  all  owe 
him  something! " 

"  What  do  we  owe  the  devil,  Master  Kurt! "  was  shouted 
from  all  sides. 

"  To  cast  him  out  of  this  place!  "  shrieked  the  leech,  point- 
ing to  the  beggar,  who  had  resumed  his  accustomed  seat,  on 
the  stone  step,  with  head  sunk  upon  his  breast. 

"Yes,"  shouted  and  laughed  the  multitude — "yes,  we 
will  cast  the  devil  out.  Away  with  you,  old  Glaus,  away! 
We  will  not  suffer  sorcerers  and  wizards  among  us!  You 
shall  not  practice  your  infernal  arts  among  us!  Away  with 
you,  wizard!  We  will  cast  out  the  devil!  " 

With  piercing  yells  and  outcries  the  mass  pressed  forward 
toward  the  beggar,  who  had  retreated  to  the  top  step  of  the 
flight  leading  to  the  castle  portal.  There  he  stood,  erect,  pale 


THE  RETURN  FROM  PRAGUE.         209 

as  death,  supporting  his  head  against  the  gray  wall,  and  look- 
ing with  the  composure  of  a  bystander  upon  the  surging  mass 
which  encircled  him  in  wild  confusion,  upon  the  many 
clinched  fists  lifted  threateningly  against  him. 

"  Am  I  to  be  released  at  last?  "  he  asked  softly.  "  Is  this 
the  hour  of  my  deliverance?  Will  you  call  me  to  your  side, 
Rebecca?  " 

A  blow  struck  his  shoulder,  causing  him  to  fall  forward 
down  the  steps,  into  the  heart  of  the  throng  that  now  pre- 
sented the  appearance  of  an  impenetrable  wall. 

Now  they  had  him,  that  raging  mob,  and  with  loud,  mock- 
ing laughter  and  wild  shrieks  they  fell  upon  him  and  cried: 
"  Cast  the  devil  out  of  him!  Beat  him  until  the  devil  leaves 
him!  Tear  from  him  the  charm  he  carries  on  his  breast! 
The  devil  is  hid  in  that  golden  box!  Out  with  it!  Give  it 
here!  " 

"No!"  cried  Glaus,  with  failing  voice,  "you  shall  not 
have  my  treasure!  Kill  me,  but  while  I  live  you  shall " 

"  Make  room!  Clear  the  way  there!  "  was  suddenly  cried 
by  loud,  commanding  voices,  and  above  the  heads  of  the 
raging  populace  were  seen  the  halberds  of  the  Elector's  guards- 
men. 

"  Clear  the  way  there!  "  they  repeated,  forcing  their  rear- 
ing horses  among  the  confused  mob,  which  moved  aside, 
curious  to  see  what  new  object  of  interest  was  now  to  appear. 
Only  one  person  had  not  fled,  but  was  left  behind  in  the 
midst  of  the  open  space  which  had  been  cleared  be- 
fore the  castle  portal — a  poor  bruised,  bleeding  creature,  with 
tattered  garments  and  dishevelled  hair.  There  he  lay  cower- 
ing and  moaning  on  the  stone  pavement,  both  hands  still 
tightly  clasped  over  his  breast,  and  still  murmuring:  "  They 
have  not  got  my  treasure  yet.  My  life  I  would  freely  give 
them,  but  not  that — no,  never,  never!  " 

"Away  there!"  some  one  called  out  imperiously,  close 
beside  him — "  away  with  you,  old  Glaus!  Be  off  with  you! 
Do  you  not  see  that  the  Elector  is  coming!  Quick,  move  off 
in  short  order! " 

The  beggar  tried  to  rise  and  make  room  for  the  exalted 
lord  who  was  now  approaching  with  his  retinue.  But  his  feet 


210  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

refused  to  render  their  service,  and  with  a  low  wail  he  sank 
back  again. 

Ever  louder,  ever  more  threatening  became  the  cry:  "  Clear 
the  way!  Away  with  the  beggar  Glaus!  " 

"  I  can  not,"  he  lamented  aloud.  "  Oh,  my  God,  I  can  not! 
Be  compassionate!  Drag  me  away!  " 

The  people,  who  had  again  flocked  close  together,  forming 
a  passage  from  the  cathedral  to  the  castle  portal,  only  an- 
swered by  loud  scoffs  and  jeers,  gazing  with  malicious  delight 
upon  the  beggar's  impotent  efforts  to  move.  Nobody  pitied 
him — nobody  would  touch  the  sorcerer,  the  outcast. 

Suddenly  a  strong  hand  was  laid  upon  his  shoulder,  and 
Conrad  von  Burgsdorf  cried  out:  "  Away  with  you!  Do  you 
not  see  that  his  highness  is  coming?  " 

"  What  is  the  matter  here  ?  "  asked  a  soft,  friendly  voice. 
"What  is  the  meaning  of  this  uproarious  greeting?  What 
has  happened  ?  " 

It  was  the  Elector  himself  who  asked  these  questions 
— the  Elector,  who  had  just  returned  home  from  Prague, 
where  he  had  been  to  visit  the  Emperor.  He  had  left  his 
carriage  at  the  cathedral,  where  the  priests  and  magistrates 
had  met  him,  and  was  pursuing  his  way  to  the  castle  on 
foot. 

"  Most  gracious  sir,"  replied  the  high  chamberlain,  shrug- 
ging his  shoulders,  "it  seems  there  has  been  some  dispute 
among  the  gaping  crowd  ending  in  a  brawl,  from  which  it 
seems  that  the  beggar  Glaus  has  emerged  so  badly  that  he  can 
not  stir  from  the  spot!  " 

"I  do  believe  it  is  Glaus,"  exclaimed  the  Elector,  stoop- 
ing over  the  beggar,  who  had  at  last  succeeded  in  raising  him- 
self on  his  knees,  and  looked  up  at  the  Elector  with  folded 
hands  and  deprecating  glances.  "What  has  befallen  you, 
Glaus?  How  comes  your  face  to  be  so  bruised  and  cut?  " 

"  They  beat  me,  sir,"  said  Glaus  softly.  "  I  believe  one  of 
my  legs  is  broken.  I  do  not  say  this  to  complain  of  anybody, 
but  only  to  excuse  myself  for  not  getting  up." 

"Who  did  this?"  asked  the  Elector.  "Where  are  the 
men  who  solemnize  their  Sovereign's  arrival  by  beating  a  poor 
beggar  black  and  blue?" 


THE  RETURN  FROM  PRAGUE.         211 

As  he  spoke,  Frederick  William's  eagle  eye  scanned  the 
multitude  on  both  sides  of.  his  path.  Kurt,  the  leech,  Fiirberg, 
the  tailor,  and  Wendt,  the  shoemaker,  had,  thanks  to  their 
robust  frames  and  sinewy  arms,  attained  to  the  happiness  of 
standing  in  the  foremost  ranks,  and  felt  themselves  called 
upon  to  reply  to  the  Elector's  questions. 

"  Your  Electoral  Grace,"  whined  the  leech,  "  beggar  Glaus 
himself  began  the  affray.  Without  ground  or  reason  he  gave 
cobbler  Ewald  such  a  dreadful  blow  that  he  fell  down  faint- 
ing, and  well-nigh  bled  to  death." 

"  Is  that  true,  Glaus?  "  asked  the  Elector,  looking  down 
upon  the  beggar  with  amazement. 

"  Yes,  your  highness,  it  is  true." 

"He  can  not  deny  it,  your  Electoral  Grace,"  cried  Fiir- 
berg, the  tailor.  "  But  that  is  not  all.  He  afterward  had 
the  effrontery  to  practice  some  of  his  black  magic  before  our 
very  eyes." 

"  He  carries  a  golden  box  about  him,"  chimed  in  shoe- 
maker Wendt,  "  by  means  of  which  he  summons  the  devil 
to  his  aid.  Ewald  was  as  good  as  dead,  when  Glaus  put  the 
golden  charm  under  his  nose,  and  in  a  little  while  the  cobbler 
awoke  and  was  strong  and  lively  enough  to  get  up  and  walk 
home." 

"  And  then  rage  and  horror  seized  us,  gracious  Elector! " 
cried  the  leech.  "  We  were  determined  to  cast  the  devil  out 
of  the  beggar,  to  avert  misfortune  from  our  dear  cities  of 
Berlin  and  Cologne,  so  we  administered  a  few  wholesome 
cuffs  and  knocks  to  make  the  devil  uncomfortable  and  force 
him  to  leave  his  tenement.  That  is  the  whole  story,  your 
Electoral  Grace,  and  the  beggar  must  admit  its  truth.  For 
the  rest,  we  would  not  have  beaten  him  if  he  had  voluntarily 
given  us  the  box  by  means  of  which  he  conjures  up  the  devil." 

"Is  that  so,  Glaus?"  asked  the  Elector.  "Is  that  the 
true  history  of  the  affair?  " 

"  Yes,  your  highness,  almost  true,"  replied  Glaus.  "  Only, 
you  know  that  I  am  no  sorcerer,  but  only  a  poor,  unhappy 
wretch,  who  has  once  again  sinned  grievously.  In  my  crimi- 
nal rage  I  struck  Ewald,  but  it  was  only  because  he  had  over- 
heard me  talking  to  myself,  and  was  about  to  profane  a  name 


212  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

I  never  utter  myself  save  to  my  God  and  my  Elector,  by  speak- 
ing it  in  mockery  before  a  scoffing  multitude." 

"  But  what  about  that  golden  box?  How  came  you  to 
have  such  a  costly  trinket?  " 

"  Stoop  lower,  sir,  and  I  will  tell  you." 

The  Elector  bent  over  the  beggar,  who  by  a  mighty  effort 
succeeded  in  bringing  his  lips  close  to  the  Elector's  ear. 

They  formed  a  singular  group,  the  Elector,  in  his  magnifi- 
cent traveling  suit  of  green  velvet,  set  off  by  large  gold  but- 
tons, his  brown  locks  surmounted  by  a  round  cocked  hat, 
trimmed  with  gold  lace  and  long  white  ostrich  plumes,  and 
the  beggar  on  his  knees  before  him,  in  his  torn  and  tattered 
gray  gown,  lifting  up  to  his  Sovereign  his  pale,  distorted 
countenance  and  eyes  so  touchingly  sad.  On  both  sides  of  this 
group  stood  the  densely  packed  crowd,  gazing  on  with  breath- 
less attention,  all  eyes,  all  ear,  all  curiosity.  Behind  the 
Elector  were  his  glittering  train  of  attendants,  the  magistrates, 
and  clergy,  all  stretching  their  necks,  eager  to  see  what  was 
going  on  and  what  unforeseen  occurrence  thus  retarded  the 
Elector's  progress. 

"  Sir,"  said  the  beggar,  putting  his  lips  so  close  to  the 
Elector's  ear  and  speaking  so  low  that,  to  the  extreme  vexa- 
tion of  the  bystanders,  no  one  but  the  Elector  could  hear  a 
word — "  sir,  that  little  golden  box  was  a  present  from  the 
noblest,  fairest,  and  best  of  women  to  her  happy  husband 
on  their  wedding  day.  In  that  golden  box  was  a  vial  of  the 
elixir  of  life,  which  the  father  of  that  wife,  a  learned  adept 
of  Venice,  had  discovered  and  prepared,  and  of  which  he  main- 
tained that  it  could  save  a  man  from  death,  and  restore  to  him 
the  vigor  of  life.  That  beloved  wife  believed  in  the  virtue 
of  this  elixir,  and,  placing  a  vial  of  the  precious  liquid  in  a 
golden  heirloom,  the  gift  of  her  mother,  presented  it  to  the 
man  whom  she  had  blessed  with  her  love.  She  made  him 
solemnly  swear,  laying  his  hand  on  her  heart,  never  to  part 
with  this  jewel,  but  to  wear  it  on  a  ribbon  around  his  neck 
as  long  as  he  lived.  That  happy  man  kept  his  word  all  his 
lifetime.  Now,  since  he  is  dead,  the  treasure  has  fallen  to 
the  poor,  wretched  beggar,  who  lies  here  prostrate  in  the 
dust,  and  has  nothing  else  to  call  his  own  but  grief  and  bitter 


THE  RETURN  FROM  PRAGUE.         213 

memories.  The  beggar,  though,  will  faithfully  keep  the  oath 
given  in  days  of  prosperity  and  joy,  and  would  rather  die  of 
hunger  than  give  away  that  precious  memento.  But  to-day, 
when  in  criminal  rage  he  had  struck  a  man,  who,  indeed,  had 
sorely  tempted  him,  and  saw  him  stretched  out  before  him 
apparently  dying,  he  felt  that  he  must  atone  for  his  misdeed, 
and,  hard  as  the  sacrifice  was,  open  his  precious,  sacred  pos- 
session before  the  curious  mob.  This  he  did  to  save  the  life 
of  the  man  whom  he  had  injured.  The  elixir  of  the  Vene- 
tian adept  restored  Ewald  to  life,  and  then  the  people  said 
that  it  was  done  by  witchcraft,  and  wanted  to  tear  my  jewel 
from  me.  I  would  not  give  it  up,  I  was  determined  to  defend 
it  with  my  life,  and  had  not  you  come,  sir,  and  your  guards- 
men driven  back  the  furious  mob,  they  would  have  con- 
ferred upon  me  the  greatest  blessing  possible,  for  they  would 
have  killed  me.  I  have  finished  my  confession,  sir;  you  know 
all  now." 

"  I  know  that  these  people  have  acted  very  cruelly  and 
very  foolishly! "  cried  the  Elector,  lifting  up  his  head  and 
letting  his  burning  eyes  sweep  over  the  multitude  with  an 
expression  of  indignation  and  grief.  "  Drive  the  devil  out  of 
your  own  hearts! "  he  cried  aloud,  "  and  seek  him  nowhere 
but  in  yourselves,  for  nowhere  else  is  he  to  be  found  than 
in  the  human  heart!  You  beat  and  tortured  this  poor  creature 
because  you  wanted  to  cast  a  devil  out  of  him,  and  only  proved 
thereby  that  the  devil  was  in  yourselves,  for  you  came  very 
near  murdering  this  poor  man.  But  I  charge  you  to  molest 
Glaus  no  further,  and  if  any  one  dares  to  insult  him,  or  at- 
tempt to  rob  him  of  his  little  box,  he  shall  be  dealt  with  ac- 
cording to  the  utmost  severity  of  the  laws.  In  my  country 
there  shall  be  right  and  justice  for  every  one,  beggar  as  well 
as  prince.  Mark  that,  all  of  you.  And  now,  go  home,  good 
people,  and  be  assured  that  I  shall  be  a  gracious  Sovereign 
to  you,  if  you  always  perform  your  duties  as  good  subjects 
and  faithful  citizens! " 

He  nodded  kindly  to  the  people  and  moved  on,  after  he 
had  ordered  Burgsdorf  to  see  that  a  shelter  was  found  for 
the  beggar,  and  the  Electoral  surgeon  called  in  his  own  name 
to  attend  upon  the  sick  man  and  dress  his  wounded  limb. 


214  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 


II. — THE  CONFESSION. 

"  AND  now,  my  dear  lord  and  husband,  tell  me  how  your 
journey  has  prospered  ?  "  asked  the  Electress,  every  feature 
of  her  face  sparkling  with  joy  as  she  contemplated  her  hus- 
band. 

"  Why  do  you  look  at  me  so  long  and  co  searchingly,  my 
dear! "  asked  Frederick  William,  smiling. 

"  I  will  tell  you,  Frederick! "  she  cried,  throwing  her  arm 
around  his  neck,  where  he  sat  near  her  on  the  sofa,  having 
just  partaken  at  her  side  of  refreshments  for  the  first  time 
since  his  arrival — "  I  will  tell  you,  Frederick,  why  I  was 
looking  at  you  thus  earnestly.  I  am  so  happy  to  see  you 
again.  I  can  not  describe  to  you  the  weariness  of  those 
eight  long  days  of  separation.  I  felt  as  if  the  sun  never 
shone  and  as  if  the  whole  heavens  were  obscured  by  clouds. 
And  now  that  I  am  with  you,  I  find  all  the  missing  sun- 
beams in  your  presence;  all  is  once  more  light  and  cheer- 
ful around  me.  I  was  looking  at  you  to  find  out  whether 
this  sunshine  emanated  from  your  eyes  or  brow  or  lips, 
and " 

"  And  found,"  interrupted  the  Elector,  "  that  it  was  only 
a  reflection  from  your  own  sweet  nature,  which  is  benignant 
as  the  sun  and  lustrous  as  the  silvery  moon.  Yes,  dear  Louisa, 
you  are  an  enchantress,  for  before  you  all  other  women  lose 
their  charms,  and  I  must  admit  to  you  that  the  fascinating 
beauties  of  the  imperial  court  at  Prague  made  no  impression 
upon  me.  I  felt  perpetually  as  if  I  lacked  something,  not  only 
at  my  side,  but  in  myself — as  if  I  were  but  half  a  man,  and 
when  I  reflected  upon  my  feelings  I  knew  perfectly  that  it 
was  you  whom  I  missed,  and  that  I  longed  inexpressibly  to 
have  you  with  me." 

"Is  that  true? — is  it  really  true?"  cried  the  Electresa 
exultingly,  pressing  his  hand  to  her  lips.  "You  still  love 
me,  then,  Frederick? — still  long  for  me?  Oh,  thank  you, 
my  dear  husband,  thank  you  for  these  words!  And,  do  you 
know,  it  gives  me  courage  to  ask  a  question  which  lies  heavy 
at  my  heart,  and  which  repeatedly  occurred  to  my  thoughts 


THE  CONFESSION.  215 

during  those  eight  dreary  days,  when  I  was  separated  from 
you  for  the  first  time  since  our  marriage." 

"  So,  so,  Louisa,"  said  the  Elector,  smiling,  "  you  have 
been  revolving  painful  thoughts,  and  torturing  yourself, 
groundlessly,  I  am  confident.  Tell  me,  dearest,  what  is  your 
question?" 

"  Promise  me,  Frederick,  to  answer  it  plainly  and  sin- 
cerely." 

"  Is  it  anything  so  serious,  Louisa?  Well,  I  promise  to  give 
you  a  plain,  candid  answer,  to  the  best  of  my  ability." 

She  threw  both  her  arms  around  his  neck,  and  looked 
tenderly  into  his  eyes.  "  Frederick,"  she  said  softly,  "  do  not 
scold  me,  and  do  not  laugh  at  what  I  am  about  to  ask  you. 
Indeed,  I  can  not  help  it.  This  question  has  been  perpetually 
recurring  to  me  all  these  five  years  of  our  marriage,  and  the 
more  affectionate  you  are,  and  the  more  I  feel  that  you  love 
me,  the  more  audibly  it  sounds  in  my  heart.  Out  with  it,  then, 
that  my  poor  heart  may  find  rest  from  it  and  learn  its  solution. 
Tell  me  quickly  and  briefly,  did  you  marry  me  for  love  01 
reasons  of  state?  Did  you  for  my  sake  reject  the  alliance 
with  Queen  Christina,  or  did  you  take  me  because  you  could 
not  get  her?  " 

The  Elector's  countenance,  hitherto  so  bright  and  ani- 
mated, was  now  overshadowed  by  clouds,  and  with  almost 
mournful  looks  he  contemplated  his  wife's  excited  and  ex- 
pectant face.  "  Thus  it  is  with  you  women,"  he  said  softly, 
shaking  his  head;  "  not  satisfied  with  having  love,  you  would 
analyze  and  dissect  it.  You  are  not  content  with  the  roses 
which  God  has  caused  to  bloom  in  your  pathway,  to  glad- 
den you  with  their  beauty  and  their  fragrance.  No,  with 
your  busy  little  fingers  you  must  ruthlessly  tear  open 
the  calyx  of  the  rose,  and  pluck  its  leaves  to  pieces  to  find 
out  whether  a  single  petal  may  not  be  shriveled,  or  of  less 
vivid  coloring;  true,  you  discover  them  all  to  be  faultless, 
but  in  the  process  you  have  destroyed  the  whole  rose,  and 
scattered  your  happiness  to  the  winds.  Would,  Louisa, 
that  you  had  not  put  this  question;  it  grieves  me,  for  your 
sake." 

"  But  you  have  not  answered  me,"  said  the  Electress,  with 


216  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

animation.      "  And  yet  you  gave  me  your  word  that  you 
would." 

"  If  you  insist  upon  it,  I  will,"  replied  the  Elector,  shrug- 
ging his  shoulders,  "  and  with  your  permission  I  shall  answer 
the  last  part  of  your  question  first.  I  did  not  take  you  because 
I  could  not  get  Queen  Christina,  for,  on  the  contrary,  I  could 
have  got  her,  and  the  Swedish  lords  would  have  been  well 
pleased  to  see  me  married  to  their  Queen — that  is  to  say,  on 
the  conditions  which  they  had  proposed.  These  conditions, 
however,  were  of  such  a  nature  that  it  did  not  comport  with 
my  dignity  to  accept  them,  and  therefore  I  broke  off  negotia- 
tions, which  had  been  with  me  a  mere  matter  of  policy.  Then 
my  thoughts  reverted  to  The  Hague,  and,  as  I  was  reflect- 
ing that  a  closer  alliance  with  the  States-General  and  the 
Prince  of  Orange  would  be  a  very  profitable  and  pleasant  thing 
for  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg,  your  cousin  Frederick  Wil- 
liam bethought  him  of  his  charming  little  relative  at  The 
Hague,  whose  childish  sports  he  had  many  a  time  shared  as 
Electoral  Prince,  and  he  wished  from  the  bottom  of  his  heart 
that  he  might  find  in  the  Princess  of  Orange,  whom  reasons 
of  state  determined  him  to  choose,  the  same  lovely,  inno- 
cent child  that  he  had  known  and  loved.  So  the  Elector  went 
to  Holland  from  motives  of  policy,  but  your  cousin  was  over- 
joyed to  find  that  the  maiden  had  more  than  fulfilled  the  prom- 
ise of  her  childhood,  and  ripened  into  a  graceful  accomplished 
woman.  Your  cousin  genuinely  fell  in  love  with  this  Princess, 
whom  the  Elector  wooed,  and  would  have  been  really  desperate 
if  you  had  preferred  the  Prince  of  Wales  to  himself.  Happily 
you  did  not,  for  which  God  bless  you,  and  for  which  accept  my 
daily,  hourly  thanks,  for  if  I  do  not  act  the  part  of  the  loving 
swain,  yet  my  love  for  you  has  constantly  deepened,  and  to 
me  would  seem  to  need  no  protestations  to  convince  you  of  its 
truth.  Rest  assured  of  this,  Louisa,  that  I  love  you  with  my 
whole  heart  and  soul,  even  though  in  our  daily  intercourse 
I  may  not  wear  the  semblance  of  an  ardent  lover,  and  though 
I  did  not  go  to  The  Hague  led  by  enthusiasm  without  admix- 
ture of  political  motives.  The  Princess  of  Orange  could  obtain 
from  her  mother  the  privilege  of  only  wedding  the  man  of  her 
choice;  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg  could  have  allowed  him- 


THE  CONFESSION.  217 

self  no  such  privilege,  but  must  have  made  his  heart  succumb 
to  the  duties  of  his  princely  calling;  and  therefore  it  was  for 
him  a  glorious  gift  of  Providence  that  she  whom  he  had  been 
led  to  select  through  motives  of  policy  speedily  became  the 
delight  of  his  heart.  Now,  dearest,  I  have  answered  your  ques- 
tion fully  and  truthfully.  May  I  hope  that  you  are  satisfied, 
and  do  not  not  repent  of  having  bestowed  upon  me  your  proud, 
unsensitive  heart?  " 

"  That  is  the  very  thing,"  whispered  the  Electress,  with 
tears  in  her  eyes.  "  I  was  not  proud  and  unsensitive  where  you 
were  concerned.  On  the  contrary,  I  was  much  too  hasty  that 
evening  at  the  pavilion  in  confessing  my  love,  and  betraying 
to  you  my  greatest  secret,  that  I  had  always  loved  you,  and 
could  never  have  married  any  one  else,  because  my  whole 
heart  was  yours.  I  have,  dear  Frederick,  many  a  time  bitterly 
repented  of  that  confession,  and  reproached  myself  with  hav- 
ing been  bold  and  unwomanly  in  so  doing.  I  have  often 
wondered  whether  you  did  not  despise  me  for  such  forward- 
ness, and  painfully  pondered  upon  the  subject,  until  these 
reveries  gave  rise  to  the  question  which  you  have  just  an- 
swered so  beautifully  yet  so  painfully.  I  now  know  that  it 
was  I  alone  who  loved,  and  that  you  would  have  married  me 
even  if  I  had  not  pleased  you." 

"No,  Louisa!"  cried  the  Elector,  almost  angrily,  "you 
did  not  learn  that  from  anything  in  my  words,  and  are  doing 
both  me  and  yourself  a  great  injustice!  If  you  had  not  pleased 
me,  I  could  not  have  so  wholly  subdued  the  man  within  as  to 
become  the  slave  of  policy.  But  leave  now,  I  pray  you,  this 
painful  question.  It  grieves  me,  and  it  does  not  strike  me 
as  wise,  to  tear  aside  the  veil  which  is  thrown  over  the  sanc- 
tuary of  the  affections  to  preserve  it  from  rough  contact  with 
the  outer  world.  Love  and  happiness  have  their  mysteries, 
which  should  not  be  rashly  penetrated.  They  resemble  a 
butterfly's  wings,  which  are  of  too  delicate  a  texture  to  be 
rudely  touched.  I  beseech  you,  dearest,  spare  the  butterfly 
wings  of  our  love,  and  do  not  mar  them  by  your  questions,  or 
even  by  your  thoughts.  Only  confide  in  my  devoted  love, 
and  know  that  I  could  not  live  without  you,  and  feel  a  pain- 
ful void  whenever  you  are  not  at  my  side." 


218  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

And  tenderly  kissing  her,  he  pressed  her  to  his  heart. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Frederick,"  whispered  Louisa,  bravely 
forcing  back  the  tears  which  welled  up  from  her  heart.  "  I 
did  wrong  in  thus  tormenting,  not  myself  alone,  but  you  also, 
and  promise  you  never  to  forget  this  hour  or  the  precious 
words  which  you  have  spoken.  Never  again  shall  I  vex  you 
with  such  questions.  I  shall  place  a  guard  over  my  thoughts, 
too,  and  with  fervent  gratitude  daily  thank  God  that  you 
love  me  now,  and  that  I  am  not  merely  the  Elector's  consort, 
but  the  wife  of  his  affections.  And  now,  away  with  melan- 
choly and  vexatious  thoughts!  You  shall  always  see  me  cheer- 
ful and  happy,  as  the  chosen  of  your  heart  should  be.  Then 
tell  me,  my  dear  lord,  how  it  fared  with  you  in  Prague.  Was 
the  Emperor's  Majesty  right  gracious  and  friendly?  " 

"Yes,  right  gracious  and  friendly,"  replied  the  Elector, 
smiling.  "  The  Emperor  came  to  meet  me  a  half  mile  with- 
out the  city,  attended  by  a  splendid  retinue.  He  himself  rode 
in  a  coach  of  state  drawn  by  eight  horses,  the  little  Prince 
of  Hungary  seated  at  his  side.  Sixty  coaches,  drawn  by  four 
horses,  followed  the  imperial  equipage,  and  the  Emperor's 
life-guardsmen  wore  the  handsomest  uniforms." 

"  I  think  you  could  well  compare  with  them  in  that  re- 
spect," said  the  Electress  eagerly.  "  I  assure  you  it  was  a 
most  imposing  spectacle  to  look  upon,  when  eight  days  ago 
you  left  Berlin  with  your  glittering  train,  and  with  pride  I 
beheld  the  magnificent  procession.  The  coaches  I  did  not 
count,  but " 

"  Well,  well,  do  not  grow  warm  on  the  subject,"  interposed 
the  Elector.  "  We  certainly  made  quite  a  fine  display,  al- 
though we  were  only  attended  by  forty  carriages,  drawn  by 
four  horses,  and  a  retinue  of  tAvo  hundred  persons.  So,  at 
least,  it  semed  to  strike  Count  Seckendorf ,  whom  the  Emperor 
sent  forward  to  the  Bohemian  frontier,  that  he  might  welcome 
me  and  arrange  the  order  of  ceremonies.  Seckendorf  ex- 
claimed with  astonishment  at  the  sight  of  our  escort,  and, 
shaking  his  head,  presumed  that  his  Majesty  was  not  pre- 
pared for  such  magnificence  on  the  part  of  the  Elector  of 
Brandenburg.  I,  in  my  turn,  intimated  to  the  officious  count 
that  a  sovereign  German  Prince  felt  at  liberty  to  appear  be- 


THE  CONFESSION.  219 

fore  the  Emperor  in  such  state  as  he  might  himself  deem  fit, 
and  the  greater  his  expenditure,  the  greater  the  reverence 
manifested  for  the  Emperor's  Majesty.  So  Seckendorf  was 
obliged  to  forbear  any  further  criticism  upon  my  retinue,  and, 
after  we  had  settled  the  order  of  ceremonies,  we  proceeded 
on  our  journey  to  Prague." 

"  And  how  was  the  ceremonial  arranged  ? "  asked  the 
Electress  eagerly.  "  Was  it  satisfactory  to  my  proud  and  noble 
lord,  and  had  you  no  mortifications  to  undergo?  " 

"  Why,  at  first,"  replied  the  Elector,  shrugging  his 
shoulders,  "  there  was  quite  a  pompous  display  of  Spanish 
grandeeship,  and  a  great  array  of  claims  and  pretensions.  I 
soon,  however,  gave  the  master  of  ceremonies  to  understand 
that  times  had  altered  a  little,  since  the  Peace  of  Westphalia 
had  guaranteed  the  rights  of  sovereignty  to  the  several  princes 
of  Germany,  and  that  consequently  the  Elector  of  Branden- 
burg no  longer  appeared  before  the  Emperor  as  a  submissive 
vassal  and  humble  servant,  but  rather  as  a  Sovereign  and  in- 
dependent ruler.  At  the  same  time  he  hoped  never  to  be 
found  wanting  in  the  reverence  and  devotion  due  to  the 
anointed  head  of  the  Holy  German  Empire." 

"  That  was  bravely  and  wisely  answered,"  cried  the  Elec- 
tress, with  beaming  eyes.  "  Oh,  how  I  delight  in  your  proud 
and  glorious  nature! " 

"  Softly,  softly,  Louisa,"  said  Frederick  William,  sighing. 
"  One  thing  I  could  not  obtain  exemption  from,  which  wor- 
ried me  not  a  little,  and  was  not  particularly  enjoyable  to  one 
of  the  proud,  glorious  nature  which  you  are  pleased  to  at- 
tribute to  me.  As  soon  as  the  Emperor's  coach  came  in  sight 
I  was  obliged  to  leave  my  carriage,  and  go  to  meet  him, 
bareheaded  and  on  foot,  while  the  Emperor  did  not  alight 
from  his  coach  until  I  was  within  ten  steps  of  him,  and  met 
me  with  covered  head.  Then,  as  we  stood  close  together, 
I  slightly  bent  my  knee,  and  reverentially  took  the  hand 
which  the  Emperor  extended  to  me." 

"And  you  had  to  kiss  that  hand?"  asked  Louisa,  blush- 
ing. 

"  I  must  at  least  seem  to  do  so,  and  I  accordingly  touched 
it  with  the  tip  of  my  nose,"  replied  the  Elector.  "  After  all, 
15 


220  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

it  was  not  so  bad  as  fourteen  years  ago,  when  I  was  obliged 
to  kneel  before  the  King  of  Poland,  and  swear  allegiance  to 
him.  I  could  but  feel  that  I  had  made  some  progress  in  the 
upward  path  since  I  first  assumed  the  reins  of  government. 
With  this  thought  I  consoled  myself,  and  cheerfully  submitted 
to  all  further  irksome  restraints  of  etiquette,  until  gradually 
the  exalted  lords  descended  a  little  from  their  dignity,  and 
I  was  even  invited  to  sit  at  table  with  the  Emperor,  although 
the  master  of  ceremonies  informed  me  that  it  was  an  unwonted 
and  peculiar  condescension  on  the  part  of  his  Imperial  Maj- 
esty." 

"  You  conquered  the  haughty  Sovereign  by  your  ami- 
ability! "  cried  the  Electress,  looking  at  her  husband  with 
radiant  eyes.  "  He  could  not  resist  your  noble,  princely  bear- 
ing, and  was  forced  to  bow  before  your  greatness." 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  the  Elector,  smiling,  "  he  had  no  such  fan- 
tastic notions.  It  only  happened  because  he  thought  that  I 
could  subserve  his  interests  at  the  approaching  Diet,  by  giv- 
ing my  vote  and  influence  to  electing  his  son  Roman  King, 
and  consequently  his  successor  in  the  imperial  dignity.  I 
easily  penetrated  this  motive  for  condescension,  and  deter- 
mined to  draw  my  advantage  from  it  as  well.  I  had  accepted 
the  Emperor's  invitation  to  Prague  because  I  was  weary  of 
perpetual  correspondence,  and  knew  that  I  could  accomplish 
more  in  a  half  hour's  conversation  than  by  weeks  of  writing, 
and  also  because  I  hoped  by  means  of  the  Emperor's  decisive 
sentence  to  rid  myself  and  my  country  of  the  burdensome 
guests  who  still  force  themselves  upon  us,  and  have  well- 
nigh  ruined  the  Mark." 

"  The  Swedes,  you  mean?  "  asked  the  Electress. 

"Yes,  the  Swedes,"  replied  the  Elector,  with  warmth. 
"  They  imposed  hard  conditions  upon  me  that  time  at  Miin- 
ster,  and  made  shameless  demands.  I  would  never  have  con- 
sented to  them  if  I  had  not  wished  to  do  my  part  toward  giv- 
ing peace  to  Germany  after  her  thirty  years  of  war.  There- 
fore I  yielded.  The  Peace  of  "Westphalia  *  brought  the 
longed-for  peace,  and  I  may  boast  of  having  had  a  large  share 
in  bringing  it  about  and  of  having  suffered  for  the  common 

*  1648. 


THE  CONFESSION.  221 

good.  I  agreed  to  resign  to  Sweden  all  of  Upper  Pomerania, 
a  part  of  Lower  Pomerania,  and  the  island  of  Riigen,  al- 
though it  grieved  me  sorely  to  give  away  the  fairest  portion 
of  my  rightful  and  undoubted  heritage." 

"  Thank  God,  though,  that  you  were  reimbursed  in  part," 
consoled  the  Electress,  "  and  in  their  stead  obtained  the 
bishoprics  of  Halberstadt  and  Minden,  the  county  of  Hohen- 
stein,  and  the  archbishopric  of  Magdeburg." 

"  Only  see  how  learned  my  charming  Electress  is! "  cried 
Frederick  William,  with  tender  looks.  "  You  name  off  our 
possessions  with  such  glibness  that  it  is  plain  to  see  what  a 
fine  housewife  you  are.  Yet  your  calculations  are  not  quite 
correct,  for  they  took  from  me  more  than  they  gave,  and  I 
shall  never  cease  to  mourn  over  having  been  forced  to  relin- 
quish Stettin  and  the  mouths  of  the  Oder,  and  never  be  satis- 
fied until  I  have  regained  Pomerania  and  rescued  from  the 
Swedes  what  is  my  own.  Had  I  not  inwardly  promised  this 
to  myself,  I  should  never  have  summoned  sufficient  resolution 
to  sign  the  protocol  to  the  peace  at  Osnabriick,  and  would 
feel  as  if  I  had  committed  a  crime.  But  trust  me,  Louisa; 
I  shall  never  rest  until  I  can  again  number  Pomerania  in 
the  list  of  my  possessions,  for  it  shall  not  be  told  of  me  in  his- 
tory that  I  forsook  what  was  my  own,  and  did  not  demand 
again  with  the  sword  what  I  had  been  forced  to  resign  by  the 
pen." 

"  It  is  written  in  your  eyes,  Frederick  William,  that  you 
will  make  the  demand! "  cried  the  Electress,  looking  with 
fond  enthusiasm  into  her  husband's  excited  face,  "  and  history 
will  have  something  glorious  and  great  to  narrate  of  the  Elec- 
tor Frederick  William  of  Brandenburg.  I  feel  it  as  plainly 
in  the  depths  of  my  heart  as  if  it  were  a  revelation  to  me  from 
on  high." 

"  And  may  you  be  a  true  prophetess  of  my  fortune,"  said 
Frederick  William,  laying  his  hand  as  if  in  blessing  upon 
his  wife's  head.  "  To  you,  beloved  wife  of  my  heart,  I  pour 
out  my  whole  soul,  and  when,  as  now,  I  sit  beside  you  and 
share  with  you  my  most  secret  thoughts  and  plans,  my  heart 
leaps  up  in  joy  and  I  feel  that  I  am  a  happy  man;  yet  some- 
thing is  wanting  to  the  Elector:  he  lacks  the  highest,  fairest 


222  THE  GEEAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

gift  that  earth  can  offer  man — he  lacks  fame.  The  immor- 
tality of  the  soul  comes  to  all  through  the  grace  of  God,  but 
an  imperishable  name  upon  earth,  celebrity  after  death,  which 
is  better  than  life  itself,  is  the  attainment  of  but  few  through 
their  own  great  deeds.  I  aspire  to  belong  to  those  few,  Louisa. 
I  would  transform  the  little  Elector  of  Brandenburg  into  a 
great  Elector,  and  out  of  these  petty,  dismembered  provinces 
consolidate  a  strong  and  mighty  kingdom.  Fame,  fame! — 
that  is  the  ideal  for  whose  attainment  I  strive  with  spirit  and 
determination,  cheerfulness  and  energy,  but  at  the  same  time 
with  humility  and  submission  to  the  will  of  God." 

"And  you  will  attain  it,  my  Frederick!  Already  have 
you  victoriously  taken  the  first  steps  upon  the  road  to  fame. 
To  your  zeal,  firmness,  and  self-sacrificing  spirit  is  Germany 
in  great  measure  indebted  for  the  Peace  of  Westphalia.  You 
it  was  who  procured  religious  liberty  for  the  Lutherans  and 
Calvinists,  and,  in  opposition  to  Austria,  Bavaria,  and  all  the 
Catholic  princes,  secured  equality  of  rights  to  all  religious 
creeds.  Truly,  this  was  no  trivial  service,  and  for  this,  doubt- 
less, every  Protestant  feels  grateful  to  you,  remembering  you 
in  each  prayer  he  now  uplifts  to  God,  oppressed  by  no  fear, 
visited  by  no  persecution/' 

"  Ah,  my  Louisa,  you  are  mistaken  there,"  sighed  the 
Elector.  "  There  are  many,  alas!  even  among  the  evangelical 
party,  who,  in  no  Christian  or  forgiving  spirit,  are  enraged 
that  I  have  striven  for  religious  freedom  for  all.  That  the 
Catholic  priests  should  denounce  me  as  a  heretic,  I  am  not 
surprised,  but  that  the  Lutheran  preachers,  too,  in  fanatical 
zeal  should  lift  up  their  voices  against  me,  because  I  placed 
the  Eeformists  on  the  same  footing  with  the  Lutherans,  does 
indeed  grieve  me  to  the  quick — not  merely  because  I,  like 
you,  belong  to  the  Reform  Church,  but  because  thereby 
discord  and  dissension  are  sowed  by  those  whose  especial  duty 
it  is  to  inculcate  peace  and  charity  among  men.  I  am  deter- 
mined to  go  seriously  to  work  in  this  matter,  and  prove  to 
these  Lutheran  zealots  that  toleration  is  no  empty  word  within 
the  limits  of  my  domains  but  that  every  man  shall  worship 
God  according  to  the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience.  Woe 
to  those  fanatics  who  would  endeavor  to  prove  that  the  Cal- 


THE  CONFESSION.  223 

vinists  are  not  numbered  among  those  attached  to  the  Augs- 
burg Confession  of  Faith,  and  therefore  not  worthy  to  enjoy 
equal  privileges  with  the  Lutherans!  I  will  not  suffer  such 
arrogance,  but  punish  them  according  to  the  letter  of  the 
law. 

"  Forgive  me,  Louisa,  for  speaking  with  such  warmth  in 
your  presence,"  continued  the  Elector,  after  a  short  pause; 
"  it  results  from  a  fanatical  priest's  having  dared,  in  the  course 
of  my  journey,  to  preach  in  my  very  presence  against  tolera- 
tion of  Calvinists.  I  had  him  summoned  before  me,  and,  after 
lecturing  him  severely,  threatened  him  with  degradation  if 
he  continued  to  speak  of  Lutherans  and  Calvinists  as  op- 
ponents in  creed  instead  of  brothers  in  the  faith.  But  enough 
of  such  things,  Louisa.  I  am  once  more  at  home,  I  am  once 
more  with  you — what  more  could  I  ask?  My  journey,  too, 
has  been  crowned  with  success,  for  the  Emperor  declared  my 
representations  and  complaints  against  Sweden  justifiable, 
and  issued  a  proclamation  refusing  to  acknowledge  Queen 
Christina  mistress  of  Upper  Pomerania,  or  to  allow  her  a 
seat  or  vote  in  the  Diet  until  my  portion  of  Pomerania  had 
been  cleared  of  Swedish  troops.  That  is  all  I  ask  as  a  prelimi- 
nary, and  Sweden  will  have  to  heed  so  stringent  a  warning; 
my  unhappy  land  will  be  freed  from  its  worst  plague.  And 
now,  dearest,  come  and  let  us  see  what  Memmhart  has  been 
doing  all  this  while  in  the  castle,  and  how  far  the  building 
has  progressed.  I  should  also  like  to  walk  with  you  through 
the  garden  and  your  hothouses." 

"  That  is  to  say,"  exclaimed  the  Electress  joyfully — "  that 
is  to  say,  you  will  give  me  an  hour  of  happiness,  and  make  up 
to  me  for  our  long  separation.  Yes,  come,  dear  Frederick, 
let  us  inspect  the  building,  and  then  go  down  into  the  garden/' 


224  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 


III. — CASTLE  BUILDING. 

ARM  in  arm  the  Electoral  pair  left  their  cozy  sitting  room 
and  stepped  into  the  antechamber,  where  the  master  builder 
already  awaited  them,  in  obedience  to  a  summons  from  his 
lord. 

"  Well,  Memmhart!  "  cried  the  Elector  as  he  greeted  him, 
"  let  me  see  what  you  have  accomplished,  and  whether  you 
will  indeed  succeed  in  erecting  for  us  a  stately  and  imposing 
residence! " 

"  Your  highness,"  gravely  responded  the  master  builder, 
"  I  fear,  alas!  that  I  shall  not  succeed." 

"  And  why  do  you  fear  that?  "  quickly  asked  the  Elector. 
"  And  why  so  sad,  Memmhart — you  who  always  used  to  be 
so  cheerful  and  lively?  Speak,  man,  and  tell  me  what  ails 
you." 

"  Most  gracious  sir,"  said  Memmhart  gloomily,  "  nothing 
ails  me,  save  that  the  whole  work  is  at  a  standstill,  and  dur- 
ing the  eight  days  of  your  highness's  absence  nothing  at  all 
has  been  done.  My  trouble  may  be  summed  up  in  this,  most 
noble  sir:  we  have  no  money." 

"  What! "  exclaimed  the  Elector,  in  a  tone  of  surprise, 
"no  money!  Did  I  not,  two  years  ago,  bid  the  castellan  lay 
aside  annually  one  thousand  dollars  for  building,  and  hand 
over  that  sum  to  you?  " 

"  The  castellan  did  so,  your  highness,  but  the  sum  proved 
insufficient.  The  very  first  year  there  was  a  deficit,  which  we 
covered  by  drawing  upon  the  next  year's  capital.  The  second 
year  the  arrears  were  so  much  greater  that  we  could  scarcely 
cover  them  by  advancing  the  whole  allowance  for  the  third 
year.  Since  then  there  has  been  a  perfect  dearth  of  money; 
we  can  no  longer  pay  the  artisans  and  mechanics;  long  they 
dunned  us,  then  grumbled,  and  at  last  grew  desperate.  I  am 
forced  to  tell  your  Electoral  Grace  all  this,  for  hardly  had 
your  highness  set  out  eight  days  ago  when  the  workmen  made 
a  sort  of  strike.  The  painters,  bricklayers,  and  all  the  other 
mechanics  unanimously  declared  that  they  would  work  no 
more  until  the  wages  already  due  were  paid  them.  In  vain 


CASTLE  BUILDING.  225 

I  tried  to  appease  the  people,  and  bring  them  to  reason.  To 
all  my  remonstrances  they  gave  answer,  '  Pay  us  first  the 
wages  we  have  already  earned,  and  then  we  will  go  on  work- 
ing."; 

"  That  was  a  condition  difficult  to  comply  with  in  the 
circumstances,  I  fear,"  said  the  Elector. 

"  Yes,  your  highness,  unless  I  had  been  endowed  with  the 
powers  of  an  alchemist  I  could  not,  for  money  there  was  none. 
This  I  was  obliged  to  confess,  and  forthwith  painter  Hirt, 
who  was  at  work  upon  the  ceiling  of  the  new  chamber,  laid 
aside  brush  and  pallet  and  left  the  Venus  he  was  painting 
with  one  cheek  highly  flushed,  the  other  pale,  and  sitting 
upon  a  one-legged  chair.  The  other  artisans  followed,  and 
you  can  hardly  imagine  anything  more  wretched  than  the 
actual  state  of  affairs,  with  rain  pouring  through  unfinished 
ceilings  and  everything  at  a  standstill." 

"But,  man!"  cried  the  Elector,  "as  I  came  across  the 
castle  square  the  hands  were  upon  the  scaffolding,  and  you 
standing  in  their  midst!  " 

"  Yes,  your  highness,  that  was  just  to-day.  I  pleaded 
with  them  so  earnestly  and  made  such  good  promises  that 
the  men  at  last  consented  to  come  for  a  half  day,  in  order  not 
to  give  your  highness  vexation  on  your  arrival,  but  to  present 
at  least  the  appearance  of  being  at  work." 

"  Thank  you,  Memmhart,"  said  the  Electress  warmly, 
offering  her  hand  to  the  master  builder.  "  That  was  hand- 
somely done,  and  I  thank  you  for  having  spared  his  highness 
vexation,  at  least  during  his  first  moments  at  home." 

"  Ah,  Electress!  would  that  I  could  have  done  so  longer! 
— But,"  he  continued  to  the  Elector,  "  the  men  would  only 
ccme  after  I  had  given  them  my  word  to  lay  the  whole  matter 
before  your  highness  so  soon  as  I  should  be  admitted  to  an 
audience.  I  must  premise,  however,  that  I  have  lately  been 
wrought  up  to  such  a  state  of  chagrin  and  despair  that  I  am 
actually  weary  of  my  life:  on  the  one  hand  perpetually  pur- 
sued by  the  workmen  for  the  payment  of  their  dues,  and  on 
the  other  compelled  to  listen  to  the  castellan's  assurances 
that  he  has  no  money.  With  all  submission,  therefore,  I  would 
humbly  beseech  your  highness  to  appoint  some  one  accountant 


226  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

in  my  place,  that  the  masons,  carpenters,  painters,  sculptors, 
and  all  the  rest  may  cease  to  torment  me  with  their  applica- 
tions." 

"  This  is  indeed  a  bad  case,"  said  the  Elector,  thoughtfully 
pacing  the  floor,  and  not  remarking  that  the  Electress  had 
left  his  side  and  returned  to  her  own  apartment.  "  Yes,  this 
is  very  bad.  We  can  not  leave  our  house  in  its  present  most 
wretched  condition.  It  is  not  fit  that  the  Electoral  mansion 
should  wear  the  semblance  of  an  old  owl's  nest;  that  the 
Electress  should  have  no  retreat  from  a  driving  shower;  that 
the  old  staircases  should  creak  and  groan  under  the  lightest 
footstep;  and  that  we  should  not  have  a  single  decent  draw- 
ing room  in  which  to  entertain  our  guests.  The  building 
must  go  on,  yet — I  must  acknowledge  I  know  not  where  the 
funds  are  to  be  found.  The  obstinate  States  will  not,  I  fear, 
grant  me  a  tax  for  the  refitting  of  the  castle.  What  shall  we 
do,  Memmhart,  and  how  contrive  to  get  out  of  this  diffi- 
culty?" 

"  Alas!  I  know  not,  your  highness!  I  only  know  that  it 
will  require  the  utmost  diligence  to  complete  the  new  roofing 
before  winter  sets  in,  and  also  to  get  the  new  guest  chambers 
ready.  But  the  workmen  will  do  nothing  without  money, 
and  unless  your  highness  will  open  your  purse  and  undertake 
the  payment " 

"  To  open  my  purse  is  easy  enough,  but  to  find  anything 
within,  there's  the  rub.  I  really  do  not  know " 

"  But  I  know  what  to  do,  my  husband! "  exclaimed  the 
Electress,  who  had  returned  to  the  antechamber,  bearing  in 
both  hands  a  large  leather-covered  box,  whose  edges  and 
corners  were  studded  with  gold-headed  nails.  "Master 
builder  Memmhart,  have  the  goodness  to  name  the  sum  you 
owe  the  workmen  in  the  Elector's  name?  " 

"But,  my  dear,  what  would  you  do?"  asked  Frederick 
William,  gently  detaining  'the  hand  with  which  the  Electress 
was  on  the  point  of  lifting  the  lid  of  her  box.  "  You  will  not 
open  your  casket  to  satisfy  these  rude,  clownish  mechanics?  " 

"  Certainly  I  will,  my  lord,"  replied  Louisa.  "  Surely, 
as  a  frugal  housewife  I  may  be  allowed  to  contribute  my  mite 
toward  filling  up  the  holes  in  the  magnanimous  Elector's 


CASTLE  BUILDING.  227 

purse  made  by  the  necessities  of  the  country.  Were  all 
princes  as  generous  toward  their  subjects  as  you  are  they 
would  all  have  empty  coffers,  and  be  straitened  in  their 
personal  expenditures.  You  make  me  heartily  ashamed  that 
my  box  is  not  empty,  and  I  beg  you  to  allow  me  to  atone 
for  my  fault  and  learn  from  your  example  to  empty  my 
purse." 

The  Elector  made  no  reply  at  first,  but  gazed  long  and 
tenderly  upon  his  wife's  animated  countenance,  and  his  eyes, 
usually  so  brilliant,  were  seen  as  through  a  veil  of  mist. 

"  Louisa,"  he  whispered,  "  you  are  not  merely  good,  you 
are  magnanimous.  God  bless  you!  " 

He  took  her  hand  and  pressed  it  to  his  lips,  and  when  he 
released  it  there  sparkled  on  it  something  like  a  dewdrop  or 
a  diamond.  To  Louisa  it  was  both  diamond  and  dewdrop — 
a  most  precious  token  of  her  husband's  love. 

"  Well,  Herr  Memmhart,"  she  said  cheerfully,  "  tell  me 
now  how  much  you  owe?  " 

"Most  gracious  highness,  I  know  that  to  a  cent,"  said 
Memmhart,  drawing  some  papers  from  his  pocket.  "  All  the 
workmen  rendered  me  their  accounts,  and  I  promised  to  lay 
them  before  the  Elector,  that  his  highness  might  look  over 
them  himself  and  see  that  the  people  had  not  been  exorbitant 
in  their  demands." 

"  Have  you  not  examined  these  accounts  yourself,  Memm- 
hart? "  asked  the  Elector. 

"  Certainly  I  have,  your  highness;  but  it  is  my  wish  also 
that  your  highness  may  be  pleased  to  convince  yourself  that 
there  have  been  no  unnecessary  expenditures." 

"Your  word  is  altogether  sufficient  for  that,"  said  the 
Elector,  with  dignity.  "  Put  up  your  accounts,  and " 

"Pardon  me!"  cried  the  Electress  eagerly;  "that  was 
spoken  like  a  noble,  high-spirited  Prince,  and  as  was  due 
Herr  Memmhart.  But  for  our  own  improvement,  it  is  well 
to  know  the  value  of  things.  With  your  gracious  permis- 
sion I  will  look  over  these  accounts,  in  order  to  learn  what 
outlay  is  needful  in  erecting  such  a  building." 

"  Do  so,  my  precious  little  wife,"  said  the  Elector,  nod- 
ding approvingly.  "  I  know  Memmhart  will  feel  much  com- 


228  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER 

plimented  by  your  grace's  condescending  to  interest  your- 
self in  these  affairs." 

"  I  am  perfectly  charmed  at  it,  most  gracious  lady!  "  cried 
the  master  builder  joyfully.  "  We  work  with  redoubled  ardor 
when  we  know  that  a  sympathizing  eye  is  watching  us  with 
interest." 

"  Then  let  us  hear  how  much  money  you  need  at  pres- 
ent," said  Louisa,  setting  down  her  box  on  the  table  of  carved 
oakwood  which  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  open- 
ing it.  "  Let  us  hear.  Name  the  sum  total  now,  and  here- 
after I  will  examine  the  accounts  more  closely  in  detail." 

But  the  master  builder  did  not  answer,  looking  down  in 
seeming  confusion  at  the  papers  in  his  hand. 

"Well?"  asked  the  Elector.  "Did  you  not  hear  the 
Electress's  order,  Memmhart?  " 

"  I  heard,  your  highness;  but  believe  it  would  be  better 
if  the  Electress  would  be  pleased  to  let  me  mention  each  item, 
and  pay  in  that  way." 

"  Oh,  I  understand! "  exclaimed  the  Elector,  laughing. 
"  You  think  she  would  probably  shut  the  lid  of  her  box  in 
dismay,  and  retreat  with  it  to  her  room  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  highness,  about  so!  " 

"  You  are  mistaken,  if  you  think  it  would  make  the  whole 
seem  less  to  her  grace  by  proceeding  in  this  manner.  The 
Electress  has  a  quick  head  and  is  a  clever  arithmetician.  It  is 
better,  Memmhart,  to  risk  the  whole  upon  one  stake,  and  sum 
up  the  entire  register  of  your  sins  in  a  single  amount." 

"  Gracious  sir,  I  dare  not,"  sighed  Memmhart,  "  and  it 
must  at  least  be  allowed  me  to  state  the  number  of  men  among 
whom  this  sum  is  to  be  divided.  There  is  the  master  mason 
with  six  apprentices,  and  the  carpenter,  whom  your  grace 
sent  for  from  Holland.  Then  there  are  the  new  locksmith 

from  France,  painter  Hirt  with  two  assistants,  and " 

"  Enough,  enough!  "  interposed  the  Electress.  "  I  can  al- 
ready see  that  the  sum  must  be  very  great.  I  know  something 
about  building,  because  I  had  a  house  erected  on  my  farm  at 
The  Hague.  Since  you  hesitate  to  name  the  sum,  master 
builder,  permit  me  to  guess  it.  How  long  have  you  been  in 
debt  to  the  men?  " 


CASTLE   BUILDING.  229 

"  Four  months,  gracious  lady." 

"  Well,"  said  the  Electress,  after  short  reflection,  "  that  will 
of  course  mount  up  to  a  considerable  sum,  for  labor  is  dear, 
and,  besides,  there  are  the  painters,  artists,  and  sculptors!  " 

"  Let  us  hear,  Electress!  "  cried  Frederick  William  gayly. 
"  I  am  really  curious  to  learn  how  far  your  knowledge  goes 
in  these  matters.  Give  us  your  guess." 

"  I  think,"  said  the  Electress  thoughtfully,  "  it  will  prob- 
ably amount  to  five  thousand  dollars." 

"  Heaven  be  praised,  no ! "  cried  the  master  builder, 
breathing  more  freely,  "  the  amount  runs  not  so  high." 

"  Well,  four  thousand  then?  " 

"  Still  less,  gracious  lady,"  said  Memmhart,  whose  counte- 
nance began  to  brighten. 

"For  the  last  time,  only  three  thousand?"  asked  Louisa, 
smiling. 

"  No,  gracious  lady,  only  two  thousand  four  hundred 
dollars." 

"Ah,  your  highness,"  said  the  Electress,  turning  to  her 
husband,  "you  may  congratulate  yourself  on  possessing  the 
services  of  a  master  builder,  at  once  so  economical  and  so 
skillful  as  a  director.  He  who  in  four  months  gives  so  many 
workmen  only  two  thousand  four  hundred  dollars  must  cer- 
tainly select  his  employees  with  judgment,  and  keep  them 
under  good  control.  Here,  Herr  Memmhart,  are  the  two 
thousand  four  hundred  dollars,  to  which  I  add  six  hundred  in 
advance.  One  can  always  purchase  to  greater  advantage  for 
ready  money,  and  workmen  are  more  diligent  when  their 
wages  are  punctually  paid.  Here,  take  these  three  rolls — each 
of  them  contains  a  thousand  dollars  in  gold." 

Memmhart  approached  the  Electress  to  take  the  money, 
which  she  had  laid  upon  the  table,  but  before  doing  so,  bent 
his  knee  before  her,  deep  emotion  expressed  in  his  face. 

"  Electress,"  he  said  feelingly,  "  I  am  nothing  but  a  plain 
man,  knowing  little  of  the  forms  of  courtly  etiquette.  For- 
give me,  then,  if  I  do  not  express  myself  with  the  polished 
ease  of  a  courtier.  But  I  must  tell  you  that  your  highness 
has  to-day  appeared  in  the  light  of  an  angel,  and  poured  heav- 
enly balsam  into  my  heart  by  your  noble  and  precious  words. 


230  THE  GREAT   ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

Well  do  I  know  that  out  of  divine  compassion  you  named 
such  high  sums,  that  your  grace  might  appear  to  be  aston- 
ished at  the  smallness  of  an  amount  which  was  indeed  con- 
siderable. But  in  the  depths  of  my  soul  I  thank  your  grace 
for  this  tenderness  and  goodness,  and  will  now,  with  renewed 
spirit,  prosecute  my  difficult  task,  for  I  know  that  the  eye  of 
an  angel  will  watch  over  me.  Permit  me,  most  gracious  high- 
ness, to  press  your  hand  to  my  lips,  and  with  a  reverential 
kiss  to  swear  that  I  dedicate  my  whole  life  to  the  service  of  my 
beloved  lord  and  Elector." 

"  I  accept  your  vow,  master,  and  rejoice  in  it,"  said  the 
Electress;  "  but  before  I  give  you  my  hand  to  kiss,  rise  from 
your  knees,  for  it  befits  not  an  artist  to  bend  the  knee  before 
a  fellow-mortal.  And  now  take  my  hand,  and  with  it  my 
thanks  for  your  faithfulness  and  zeal." 

"  And  accept  my  thanks  too,  Memmhart,"  said  the  Elec- 
tor, with  a  friendly  nod.  "  You  are  a  clever  master  builder, 
and  so  far  your  alterations  please  me  greatly.  I  only  wish 
that  the  old  wing  to  the  castle  were  pulled  down,  for  in  my 
eyes  it  disfigures  the  whole  house." 

"  Oh,  your  Electoral  Grace,"  cheerfully  exclaimed  Memm- 
hart, "  everything  shall  be  done  now,  and  the  building  will 
progress  with  such  speed  that  I  know  your  highness  will  be 
pleased." 

"  Let  it  be  a  grand  and  glorious  edifice,"  said  the  Elec- 
tor warmly.  "  I  would  leave  it  as  a  memento  of  myself  and 
my  times,  and  construct  for  my  heirs  a  strong  castle,  in  which 
they  may  feel  secure  from  all  the  storms  of  life,  and  occa- 
sionally, too,  think  gratefully  of  the  ancestor  who  toiled, 
built,  and  battled  for  them.  Memmhart,  let  us  erect  a  firm, 
enduring  edifice — no  card  house,  that  will  speedily  be  blown 
away  by  the  storms  of  time.  A  solid  pile  of  masonry,  rest- 
ing on  a  sure  foundation,  let  it  rear  its  proud  front  before 
the  eyes  of  men.  Yet  in  the  sight  of  God  it  will  be  nought 
but  a  hut,  and  its  inhabitants  of  no  more  value  than  the 
meanest  beggar  who  walks  the  street." 

The  Electress,  who  had  gone  to  restore  her  box  to  its 
place,  now  re-entered  the  antechamber,  and  laid  her  hand  on 
her  husband's  arm. 


CASTLE  BUILDING.  231 

"  Permit  me  to  remind  you  that  you  promised  to  take  a 
little  walk  with  me  through  the  garden.  I  would  like  also  to 
show  you  two  new  plants  which  I  received  yesterday  for  my 
vegetable  garden  from  my  mother  at  The  Hague." 

"Let  us  go,  Electress.  I  have  only  one  more  question 
to  put  to  Memmhart.  You  just  now  spoke  of  having  a  French 
locksmith  in  your  employ.  How  is  it  that  you  do  not  en- 
courage native  workmen  in  that  line?" 

"  Ah,  gracious  sir,  our  native  locksmiths  only  understand 
rough  work.  Common  door  latches,  stone  doors,  and  such 
like  they  can  make,  but  none  of  these  smiths  could  possibly 
have  done  such  things  as  this  Frenchman  accomplished  in  a 
short  space  of  time." 

"  Tell  me  some  of  the  wonderful  things  this  Frenchman 
has  done." 

"  Gracious  sir,  what  is  very  important  and  ingenious,  he 
has  fitted  the  doors  with  good  latches  and  handles,  catching 
so  perfectly  that  the  doors  can  not,  as  hitherto,  flap  to  and 
fro  at  the  slightest  puff  of  wind  which  passes.  Besides  this, 
he  has  put  locks  on  the  main  castle  doors,  which  can  be  fas- 
tened with  keys,  instead  of  the  iron  bolts,  which  answered 
well  enough  when  a  person  wished  to  secure  his  room  on  the 
inside,  but  left  him  no  means  of  closing  his  chamber  from 
the  outside.  So  I  have  already  got  this  French  locksmith  to 
attach  locks,  with  keys  fitting,  to  six  of  the  castle  doors."  * 

"I  like  that,"  said  the  Elector,  "and  all  the  doors  shall 
be  furnished  with  such  locks  and  keys.  We  need  not  then 
employ  so  many  porters  and  doorkeepers,  for  if  the  doors  are 
locked,  the  sentinels  will  be  sufficient  to  guard  the  castle. 
Keys,  keys,  then,  Memmhart!  And  now,  Electress,  favor  me 
with  your  arm.  Let  us  go  down  into  the  pleasure  garden." 

He  nodded  in  friendly  manner  to  the  master  builder,  and 
with  his  wife  repaired  to  the  grand  corridor,  which  they  had 
to  traverse  before  reaching  the  principal  staircase. 
*  See  King,  Pictures  of  Berlin,  vol.  ii,  p.  64. 


232  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 


IV. — THE  FIRST  CAULIFLOWER. 

THE  Elector  walked  along  silently,  absorbed  in  thought, 
only  occasionally  pausing  before  the  doors  which  opened  upon 
the  corridor,  and  examining  with  searching  looks  their  old 
rusty  latches  and  heavy  bolts. 

"  These  do  look  abominably,"  he  said,  at  last.  "  I  never 
thought  of  it  before,  but  now  it  strikes  me  as  strange  that 
we  have  hitherto  had  no  way  of  locking  our  doors.  Say, 
Louisa,  how  is  it  at  the  Stadtholder's  court? — have  they  no 
locks  either?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  Frederick,"  said  she,  smiling.  "  They  have  a 
key  to  every  door;  and  my  dear  countrymen  would  be  shocked 
if  they  could  not  leave  their  handsome  drawing  rooms  and 
rich  furniture  under  lock  and  key  in  their  absence." 

"  But  yet  you  have  been  obliged  here  to  put  up  with  hav- 
ing no  keys  to  your  apartments,"  remarked  the  Elector 
gloomily. 

"  Oh,  I — what  use  have  I  for  keys  ?  I  have  no  secrets, 
and,  moreover,  belong  no  longer  to  Holland,  but  to  Germany. 
True,  I  am  a  poor  German  in  point  of  speech,  but  thoroughly 
German  in  thought  and  feeling,  and  more  especially  in  heart 
and  soul  a  Brandenburger.  On  my  first  arrival  here  I  was 
touched  and  edified  by  finding  no  locks  upon  the  doors,  but 
everything  standing  open  without  any  one  seeming  to  fear 
theft  or  treason.  I  thought,  how  innocent  and  guileless  life 
must  be  in  a  country  where  the  Prince  does  not  find  it  neces- 
sary to  turn  the  key  against  the  urgency  of  petitioners  or  the 
rudeness  of  assailants!  Such  a  state  of  nature  would  be  im- 
possible save  among  a  simple,  truthful,  and  uncorrupt  people; 
with  cultivation  and  refinement  of  manners  such  innocence 
and  harmlessness  vanish." 

"  You  always  find  a  bright  side  to  everything,"  said 
Frederick  William,  slowly  shaking  his  head.  "  But  you  must 
admit  that  we  are  wanting  in  that  very  refinement  and  culti- 
vation of  which  you  speak,  and  that  our  subjects  are  in  a  sadly 
primitive  state  of  rudeness.  The  long  bloody  war  swept  away 
all  vestiges  of  high  culture,  and  hunted  all  the  arts  and  sci- 


THE  FIRST  CAULIFLOWER.  233 

ences  from  our  much-to-be-piticd  land.  But  I  will  not  waste 
time  in  vain  laments,  but  reflect  that  my  own  mission  is  only 
so  much  the  more  great  and  glorious.  God  has  given  me  a 
noble  task,  in  which  you,  my  beloved  partner,  must  take  your 
snare.  Yes,  Louisa,  be  it  our  task  to  civilize  and  enlighten 
our  subjects,  and  to  make  our  country  the  chosen  home  of  art 
and  science.  This  is  our  task,  and  one  well  worthy  the  exer- 
tions of  a  lifetime.  To  this  end  may  God  grant  us  his  bless- 
ing and  a  long  peace,  which  is  the  first  condition  of  success. 
If  our  plans  prosper,  as  I  hope,  in  ten  years  my  Brandenburg 
smiths  will  be  able  to  put  locks  upon  our  doors,  and  we  shall 
have  no  occasion  to  import  foreign  workmen  or  foreign 
goods." 

"  You  will  make  an  exception  in  favor  of  my  Dutch  milk- 
maids and  farm  servants,  I  know,"  said  the  Electress  with  a 
sweet  smile.  "  You  may  understand  more  of  arts  and  sci- 
ences in  Germany,  but  of  the  dairy  and  farm  work  you  just 
know  nothing  at  all.  Your  gardening,  too,  is  a  pitiful  affair; 
and  I  am  glad  that  I  came  here  as  a  Dutch  woman  rather 
than  as  a  Dutch  bulb,  for  then  I  should  certainly  have  met 
with  an  untimely  end.  For  they  know  nothing  of  tulips  and 
their  nurture  here,  and  have  no  idea  of  their  rarity  and  value. 
Only  think,  I  received  yesterday  a  present  from  my  mother 
of  some  fruits  and  flowers,  which  my  gardener  unpacked  and 
brought  to  me.  I  missed  the  twelve  tulip  bulbs,  of  which  my 
mother  had  written  to  me  that  they  were  specimens  of  the 
newest  and  most  splendid  varieties,  and  that  I  must  take  great 
care  of  them,  for  they  were  a  little  fortune  in  themselves.  I 
questioned  the  gardener  about  the  bulbs,  and  he  replied  that 
he  had  carried  them  to  the  kitchen  and  tried  one  himself. 
But  they  had  no  peculiar  flavor,  and  he  thought  our  own  onions 
were  much  sharper  and  better/' 

The  Elector  laughed.  "  That  was  truly  a  glorious  quid 
pro  quo,  and  I  can  imagine  your  consternation.  What  was  the 
end  of  it? — did  you  rescue  any,  or  were  all  the  bulbs  con- 
sumed?" 

"  I  am  thankful  to  say,  no.  In  my  dismay,  I  ran  straight 
to  the  kitchen,  calling  out  for  my  bulbs,  and,  lo!  there  in  a 
corner  stood  a  scullion,  who,  just  as  I  unexpectedly  entered 


234  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER 

the  door,  was  in  the  act  of  biting  a  bulb  to  give  relish  to  a 
huge  slice  of  buttered  bread  which  he  held  in  his  hand.  Un- 
ceremoniously I  snatched  the  precious  root  from  the  lad,  and 
to  my  great  joy  descried  the  other  ten  lying  uninjured  on  the 
table.  I  gathered  them  up  in  my  dress  and  rushed  out  before 
the  cooks  and  scullions  had  recovered  from  their  shock." 

"  That  is  best  of  all,"  cried  the  Elector,  laughing,  "  and 
I  should  like  to  have  seen  you  alighting  like  a  fairy  in  the 
kitchen  and  enchanting  all  its  occupants  by  your  charming 
apparition.  But  what  is  this?  "  he  burst  forth,  as  he  stepped 
from  the  staircase  into  the  large  vestibule,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  which  was  the  grand  door  of  entrance  to  the  castle. 
"What  means  this?  Where  is  the  porter?  How  comes  it  that 
he  is  not  at  his  post?  " 

But  no  one  was  there  to  answer  the  Elector's  query,  and 
not  until  after  he  had  several  times  raised  his  loud,  ringing 
voice  did  a  lackey  come  rushing  in  to  ask  what  were  his  high- 
ness's  commands. 

"  Where  is  the  porter?  "  asked  the  Elector.  "  How  comes 
it  that  the  door  is  left  unguarded?  " 

"  Your  Electoral  Grace,"  said  the  lackey  timidly,  "  I  be- 
lieve the  porter  has  been  taken  sick." 

"  Then  there  are  people  who  can  take  his  place.  Why  did 
they  not  call  one  of  the  four  doorkeepers?  " 

"  I  do  not  know,  your  Electoral  Grace,"  stammered  forth 
the  lackey,  with  downcast  eyes  and  an  air  of  embarrassment. 
"  I  do  not  know,  but  I  rather  think  they  are  sick,  too;  and," 
added  he  in  an  undertone,  "  the  other  porter  is  sick  also." 

"What?"  cried  the  Elector.  "Has  an  epidemic  broken 

out  among  my  doorkeepers,  and Ah!  there  comes  our 

castellan  von  Arnim  himself.  Hark,  Arnim! "  he  called  out 
to  the  officer,  who  came  hurrying  forward;  "  explain  why 
there  is  no  porter  here.  And  what  is  this  Fritz  says  about 
all  the  doorkeepers  having  fallen  sick?  " 

"  Sick,  your  highness?  "  repeated  Herr  von  Arnim,  while 
pale  and  terror-stricken  Fritz  retreated  into  the  most  remote 
corner  of  the  vestibule.  "  Would  that  the  fellows  had  been 
taken  sick,  and  that  that  was  the  cause  of  their  absence!  " 

"  There  is  some  other  cause,  then,  for  their  absence?  Speak 


THE  FIRST  CAULIFLOWER.  235 

out  boldly,  Arnim;  do  not  look  as  melancholy  as  an  owl,  but 
tell  me  plainly  where  my  porters  are?  " 

"  Most  gracious  sir,  if  you  command  me  to  speak,  then 
T  must  say — that  they  have  run  away." 

"  Eun  away!  For  what?  Have  you  been  chastising  them 
with  a  high  hand  lately,  and  did  they  take  to  their  heels  for 
fear  of  the  rod?" 

"  0  your  highness!  they  would  not  have  run  off  for  such 
a  thing  as  that.  They  are  used  to  being  beaten:  it  belongs  to 
the  office." 

"  Well,  what  is  it  then,  Arnim?  " 

"  If  I  must  speak,  your  highness,  the  fellows  ran  off  be- 
cause I  have  not  paid  them  any  wages  for  half  a  year."  * 

For  a  minute  the  Elector  looked  at  him  in  amazement, 
then  suddenly  broke  out  into  a  merry  laugh,  and  turned  gayly 
to  his  wife. 

"  Come,"  he  said  quickly,  "  let  us  make  haste  into  the  gar- 
den, else  your  cash  box  will  be  in  great  peril.  It  seems  to  me 
as  if  the  whole  world  had  conspired  to  make  an  attack  upon 
it  to-day  because  they  know  what  a  noble,  generous  heart  you 
have.  Come,  Electress,  let  us  make  our  escape  into  the  free- 
dom of  the  open  air." 

He  drew  his  wife's  arm  within  his  own,  and  smilingly  led 
her  to  the  back  of  the  vestibule,  where  was  situated  the  little 
side  door,  through  which  they  reached  the  little  retired  garden 
lying  on  the  Spree  side  of  the  castle.  But  before  he  crossed 
the  threshold  of  this  door  the  Elector  once  more  turned  to 
the  castellan,  who  had  followed  in  reverential  silence,  while 
the  lackey  had  again  summoned  up  sufficient  courage  to  hasten 
forward  and  open  the  door  for  his  master  and  mistress. 

"  Arnim,"  said  the  Elector,  "  I  can  only  advise  you  to  ad- 
dress yourself  to  Memmhart.  He  will  tell  you  of  a  way  in 
which  doorkeepers  can  be  procured  to  do  their  work  well  with- 
out either  demanding  wages  or  having  the  ability  to  run  away. 
Apply  to  Memmhart." 

He  nodded  pleasantly  to  the  castellan  and  then  followed 
his  wife,  who  had  already  descended  the  two  granite  steps 
leading  into  the  garden.  The  Elector  dismissed  the  lackey, 

*  Historical.    Vide  King,  History  of  Berlin,  vol.  ii,  p.  66. 
16 


236  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

who  had  stationed  himself  on  the  outside  of  the  door,  with  a 
wave  of  his  hand,  for  which  the  Electress  thanked  him  by  a 
beaming  smile. 

"  It  is  so  delightful  to  be  alone  with  you,  Frederick!  "  she 
said,  "  and,  unobserved  by  human  eyes,  to  enjoy  innocent 
communion  with  nature.  And,  oh,  I  am  so  glad  and  happy. 
You  are  with  me,  and  God  is  above  me,  around  us  stand  the 
trees  in  their  autumn  foliage,  and  the  flowers  look  up  at  us 
from  the  beds,  as  if  they  were  angel  eyes  greeting  us  with 
smiles,  and  bidding  you  a  glad  welcome." 

"  Thank  you,  dear  flowers,"  said  the  Elector,  cheerfully 
nodding  on  all  sides  to  the  flowers,  which  were  prettily  ar- 
ranged on  the  borders.  "  Thank  you.  Your  Queen  has  in- 
terpreted your  welcome  to  me.  But  now  bow  down,  all  of  you, 
and  salute  with  reverence  and  admiration  the  lovely  living 
rose  who  has  spoken  for  you." 

And  as  if  the  flowers  made  haste  to  obey  the  Elector's 
mandate,  they  all  at  once  bowed  upon  their  stalks,  swayed  by 
a  gust  of  wind  which  had  just  ruffled  the  waters  of  the  Spree 
and  now  swept  over  the  garden.  The  Electress  gave  a  silvery 
laugh,  in  which  Frederick  William  merrily  joined. 

"  You  see,"  exclaimed  Louisa,  "  that  the  flowers  have  ears. 
They  understood  your  words  and  obeyed  your  orders,  like  well- 
disciplined  soldiers.  And  now  look  around  you,  Frederick,  and 
say  if  it  is  not  delightful  here,  and  far  more  agreeable  than  the 
spacious,  more  showy  pleasure  garden  at  its  side." 

"  Yes,  it  is  indeed  delightful  here,  and  makes  one  feel  light 
and  glad  at  heart,"  cried  the  Elector.  "  Let  me  inhale  full 
draughts  of  the  fresh  air,  and  shake  from  me  all  the  dust  of 
the  world.  Ah!  how  foolish  we  men  are  to  struggle  and  strive 
after  other  things,  instead  of  being  content  with  the  quiet 
pleasures  of  domestic  and  rural  life!  Did  I  not  say  just  now 
that  I  was  ambitious  and  longed  for  fame?  That  was  foolish, 
and  is  true  no  longer.  Here  in  the  garden,  at  my  dear  one's 
side,  I  am  no  more  conscious  of  the  feelings  and  aspirations 
of  the  ambitious  Elector.  Let  him  up  in  his  gloomy  castle 
forge  plans  and  devise  schemes  for  becoming  great  and  glori- 
ous, but  down  here  in  the  garden  he  is  only  a  harmless  man, 
enjoying  the  sunshine  and  the  flowers." 


THE  FIRST  CAULIFLOWER.  237 

"And  to  this  dear,  harmless  man  will  I  show  the  novel- 
ties I  got  yesterday  from  The  Hague,"  said  Louisa.  "  Come, 
my  Frederick,  I  have  had  them  all  spread  out  on  the  table  in 
the  little  pavilion,  and  there  you  shall  see  all  my  treasures." 

She  slipped  her  hand  through  her  husband's  arm,  and  with 
light  step  and  cheerful  countenances  the  handsome,  happy 
pair  followed  the  path  between  the  flower  beds  which  led  to 
the  greenhouses  at  the  end  of  the  Electress's  garden.  The 
first  compartment  of  this  greenhouse,  in  which  the  flowers  were 
arranged  upon  scaffolds,  they  quickly  traversed,  and  then  en-  • 
tered  the  pavilion,  which  was  between  the  two  greenhouses 
and  united  them  together.  Here,  on  a  round  table,  lay  vari- 
ous kinds  of  seeds,  bulbs,  and  plants,  and  with  bright  counte- 
nance the  Electress  enumerated  to  her  husband  the  high- 
sounding  names  of  the  tulips  and  other  new  and  rare  plants. 

"But  what  strange  flower  is  this?"  asked  the  Elector, 
pointing  to  a  plant  that  was  nicely  packed  in  paper,  from 
which  peeped  out  only  a  few  white  umbels  and  greenish  leaves. 

"  This,  my  dear,"  said  the  Electress,  with  important  air — 
"  this  is  something  quite  peculiar,  which  my  mother  recom- 
mends as  a  delicious  vegetable.  This  plant  was  sent  to  her 
from  the  colonies  beyond  the  sea,  and  she  has  been  cultivat- 
ing it  for  a  year  at  The  Hague  in  her  forcing  beds  and  hot- 
houses. It  is  a  flower  and  vegetable  at  the  same  time,  and  my 
mother  therefore  named  it  cauliflower,  and  has  sent  with  the 
plant  a  receipt  for  preparing  it  in  a  palatable  manner.  Be- 
sides these  three  full-grown  specimens,  my  mother  sent  me 
quite  a  number  of  young  plants,  and  she  writes  me  that  these 
plants,  after  lying  in  water  for  twenty-four  hours  to  freshen 
them  up,  must  be  set  out  in  a  hotbed,  when  they  will  furnish  us 
the  finest  heads  of  cauliflower  in  six  months,  for  this  is  a  veg- 
etable which  will  certainly  thrive  with  us." 

"And  were  the  plants  put  in  water?"  asked  the  Elector, 
with  interest. 

"  Certainly;  they  were  immediately  cared  for.  See,  there 
they  are  in  that  great  tub;  and  what  a  fine  parcel  of  them 
there  is! " 

"  A  fine  parcel,  indeed,"  said  Frederick  William,  entering 
the  second  greenhouse,  where  the  hotbeds  were.  "And  do 


238  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

you  know,  Louisa,  since  this  is  a  new  plant,  which  we  would 
naturalize  among  us,  I  think  we  must  honor  it  by  planting  it 
in  our  soil  ourselves.  We  are  the  heads  of  the  people,  and 
whatsoever  new  thing  the  land  produces  it  must  receive 
through  us." 

"  Ah,  Frederick!  that  is  a  happy  thought!  Yes,  my  lord, 
it  befits  you  to  cherish  your  country,  and  the  blessing  of  your 
beloved  hand  will  sink  with  the  new  plant  into  the  soil.  Yes, 
we  must  plant  the  cauliflower,  we  alone!  The  bed  is  already 
prepared  for  their  reception.  Come  now,  let  me  hold  the 
plants,  and  you  shall  put  them  in  the  ground." 

She  bent  down  over  the  tub  and  drew  out  the  tender  little 
green  plants,  and,  after  letting  the  water  drip  from  them, 
carried  them  carefully  to  the  hotbed,  whose  sash  was  already 
raised  and  propped. 

With  smiling  looks  the  Elector  followed  her,  and  Louisa 
handed  him  a  little  plant. 

"  There,"  she  said,  "  the  solemn  moment  has  come,  when 
the  Elector  Frederick  William  of  Brandenburg  plants  the  first 
cauliflower  in  his  dominions.*  Bow  down,  Sir  Elector,  and 
begin  your  work." 

"  Tell  me  how  to  begin  and  how  to  put  the  little  thing  in 
the  ground,"  said  the  Elector,  kneeling  down  and  holding  up 
the  plant  which  his  wife  had  given  him. 

"  Now  take  the  forefinger  of  your  right  hand,"  were  Lou- 
isa's instructions,  "and  bore  a  hole  with  it  in  the  ground.  Then 
carefully  insert  in  this  the  roots  of  the  plant,  press  the  soil 
close  around  the  stem  just  below  the  leaves,  and  all  will  be 
done." 

The  Elector  strictly  followed  her  directions,  and  had  the 
satisfaction  of  seeing  the  first  specimen  of  his  own  planting 
lift  up  its  fresh  leaves,  in  pretty  contrast  with  the  rich  black 
earth  around. 

"  May  you  live  and  thrive,  little  plant,"  he  said,  smiling — 
"  may  you  grow  to  be  great  and  large.  Then  bear  seed  and 
be  the  parent  of  long  generations  of  your  fellows,  that  the  gen- 
erations of  mankind  may  be  gladdened  thereby.  You  are  to 
nourish  man,  and  a  high  destiny  that  is  for  such  a  small  wee 
*  Historical.  See  Orlich,  History  of  the  Great  Elector. 


THE  FIRST  CAULIFLOWER.  239 

thing  as  you.  Therefore,  I  put  you  in  the  ground  and  rejoice 
over  you,  little  one.  Now  give  me  another,  Louisa,  and  tell 
me  where  to  plant  it." 

"  Two  handbreadths  from  the  first,  Frederick,  and  in  a 
straight  line  with  it.  Plants  must  stand  in  as  regular  rank 
and  file  as  the  soldiers  in  your  bodyguard." 

The  Elector  made  another  hole  in  the  ground  and  inserted 
the  plant.  Then  he  planted  a  third  and  a  fourth,  and  so  dili- 
gently did  he  work  that  he  became  perfectly  silent,  and  his 
forehead  was  covered  with  perspiration.  Still  he  knelt,  rest- 
lessly continuing  his  task,  while  the  Electress  stood  by  watch- 
ing its  progress  with  beaming  eyes  and  the  greatest  interest. 

"Good  heavens!  what  do  I  see?"  suddenly  exclaimed 
some  one  behind  them.  "  His  grace  the  Elector  on  his  knees, 
and  playing  the  gardener!  " 

"  Yes,  Lord  Chamberlain  von  Burgsdorf,"  said  the  Elector, 
who  continued  his  work  without  even  looking  up  at  Burgs- 
dorf, who  stood  within  the  pavilion  door  and  was  gazing  in 
astonishment  upon  the  group  before  him.  "  Yes,  the  Elector 
is  on  his  knees,  and  playing  the  gardener.  Have  you  any  ob- 
jection, old  friend?" 

"  None  at  all,  gracious  sir,"  quickly  responded  Burgsdorf. 
"  Only,  I  humbly  beg  your  highness  to  excuse  me  from  taking 
any  share  in  your  labors." 

"  That  I  would  by  no  means  permit,"  said  the  Electress 
quickly.  "  The  lord  high  chamberlain  has  nothing  to  do  with 
my  plants,  more  especially  in  my  own  garden." 

The  high  chamberlain's  face  darkened  a  little.  "I  beg 
your  grace's  pardon  for  having  dared  to  intrude  here,"  he  said. 
"  But  I  have  just  learned  that  out  on  Hare  Heath  a  whole 
herd  of  deer  have  showed  themselves.  Moreover,  the  peasants 
out  there  are  in  the  greatest  state  of  desperation,  for  every 
night  the  hares  from  Hare  Heath  come  into  their  fields  and 
destroy  all  their  cabbage.  The  poor  people  can  not  help  them- 
selves, and  therefore  beseech  us  to  organize  a  regular  hare 
chase.  Now,  the  weather  is  splendid  to-day,  and  there  will 
be  the  finest  moonshine  to-night,  so  that  I  thought  I  would 
propose  to  your  grace  to  ride  out  upon  Hare  Heath  to-day  and 
hunt  a  little  while." 


240  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  that  will  I!  "  cried  the  Elector,  quickly 
rising.  "  We  must  have  a  hunt.  As  we  have  planted  our  own 
cabbage,  Electress,  we  must  now  see  to  it  that  our  hares  do 
not  eat  up  that  belonging  to  the  poor  peasants." 

The  sunshine  of  happiness  on  the  Electress's  countenance 
had  faded  away,  and  a  light  cloud  shaded  her  brow. 

"  You  do  not  merit  my  thanks,  lord  chamberlain,"  said 
she,  "  for  coming  into  my  garden  to  take  away  my  husband, 
who  has  just  returned  to  me  after  a  long  absence,  and  needs 
a  little  rest  and  refreshment  after  the  fatigue  he  has  under- 
gone. I  entreat  you,  my  husband,  just  for  this  once  to  give 
up  the  chase  for  my  sake  and  stay  at  home.  Is  not  one  happy 
day  due  me  after  eight  of  solitude  ?  " 

She  looked  at  her  husband  with  such  soft,  pleading  eyes 
that  he  had  not  the  power  to  resist,  and  smilingly  nodded 
his  consent. 

"  You  shall  have  your  wish,  Electress,"  he  said.  "  I  shall 
stay  at  home  to-day,  and  commit  the  chase  to  Burgsdorf  and  his 
companions.  Besides,  I  have  much  business  to  attend  to,  and 
must  meet  with  the  members  of  my  cabinet  council." 

"  Your  highness  refuses  to  join  me,  then?  "  said  Burgs- 
dorf, much  crestfallen.  "  There  will  be  no  hunting  to-day?  " 

"  Hunt  away  as  much  as  you  like,  only  I  shall  not  be  of 
the  party." 

"  Oh,"  sighed  Burgsdorf,  "  if  your  highness  is  not  there 
nothing  will  go  on  right,  and  there  will  be  no  pleasure  for  any- 
body. Heigh-ho!  I  see  the  good  old  times  have  gone  forever, 
and  our  most  gracious  lord  turns  away  from  us!  " 

"  In  what  do  you  note  that,  old  growler? "  asked  the 
Elector,  who,  with  his  wife  on  his  arm,  was  slowly  return- 
ing through  the  pavilion  and  hothouse  to  the  garden,  while 
Burgsdorf  walked  on  his  other  side. 

"  I  note  it  in  everything,"  cried  Burgsdorf  with  an  outbreak 
of  ill  humor.  "  All  is  changed,  and,  as  our  old  gray  castle 
is  assuming  a  new  and  elegant  exterior,  so  we  will  all  have 
to  step  softly  and  delicately  if  we  would  find  favor  in  the  eyes 
of  our  beloved  Elector." 

"  Do  you,  too,  belong  to  the  malcontents,  old  soldier?  " 
asked  the  Elector.  "  Are  you,  too,  grumbling  over  the  ad- 


THE  FIRST  CAULIFLOWER.  241 

vent  of  a  new  era  and  lamenting  the  glorious  past?  Yes,  so 
it  is  with  you  old  people.  You  fancy  that  things  only  went 
on  right  in  your  day.  Can  you  imagine  that  those  who  come 
after  you  will  not  renew  and  improve?  But  I  tell  you,  old 
friend,  a  great  deal  must  be  altered,  and  as  out  of  my  old, 
tumble-down  castle  I  mean  to  construct  a  stately  palace,  so 
out  of  the  old  crumbling  Electorate  of  Brandenburg  shall 
come  forth  a  new,  vigorous,  and  powerful  state.  To  that  end 
we  must  introduce  new  forms  and  use  increased  activity,  while 
many  an  old  thing  must  be  thrown  overboard." 

"  But  the  question  is  whether  the  new  ones  substituted 
in  their  place  are  really  better  or  more  useful,"  cried  Burgs- 
dorf  warmly.  "  Ah,  most  gracious  sir!  when  I  see  them  tear- 
ing down  the  dear  old  castle,  with  its  gray  walls,  its  gable 
ends,  and  turrets,  I  feel  so  melancholy.  It  seems  as  if  they 
were  violently  breaking  down  and  casting  away  all  my  pleasant 
memories.  I  look  at  all  the  little  windows,  their  small  panes 
set  in  lead,  and  think  of  the  many  happy  hours  I  have  spent 
with  your  blessed  father  in  the  rooms  behind  them,  and  how 
brightly  the  sun  seemed  to  shine  in  upon  us  through  the  tiny 
panes  of  glass.  We  never  missed  the  great  glass  doors  they 
use  now,  for  he  who  has  eyes  to  see  sees  just  as  well  through 
our  dear,  old-fashioned  windows.  Many  a  time  your  hon- 
ored father  looked  out  and " 

"And  saw  a  swamp  before  him,"  interrupted  the  Elec- 
tor— "  a  swamp  where  hogs  and  street  boys  led  a  merry  life, 
while  respectable  people  waded  through  only  at  the  risk  of 
their  lives.  And  you  called  that  a  pleasure  garden,  and 
deemed  the  prospect  lovely  when  the  pigstys  were  in  front 
of  the  houses  and  cattle  wallowed  in  the  mire  of  the  street. 
That  I  could  not  suffer,  and  out  of  the  swamp  have  made  veri- 
table pleasure  grounds  and  forbidden  hogstys  to  be  placed 
before  the  doors.  This  innovation  raised  a  new  lament  over 
the  good  old  times.  Did  not  the  citizens  of  Berlin  and  Co- 
logne make  a  fearful  outcry  on  being  ordered  to  move  their 
stables  and  stalls  to  the  rear  of  their  dwellings,  although  I 
furnished  gratuitously  materials  for  new  ones  in  their  yards? 
And  when  I  ordered  all  the  dirt  to  be  carted  out  of  the  streets, 
that  they  might  be  thoroughly  purified,  and  at  my  own  ex- 


242  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

pense  had  hundreds  of  wagonloads  of  filth  carried  out  of  Ber- 
lin to  the  pleasure  grounds,  was  there  not  a  hue  and  cry  raised 
that  the  manure  was  the  property  of  the  city,  and  should  have 
been  thrown  upon  their  fields  rather  than  upon  the  Electoral 
lands?  I  laughed  at  this,  and  commiserated  the  poor,  stupid 
people,  who  shrank  from  every  novelty  and  preferred  old  filth 
to  new  cleanliness.  But  when  men  from  whom  we  expect 
reason  and  reflection  join  in  these  howls  and  moans  over  the 
good  old  times,  it  is  not  very  encouraging,  and  you,  old  friend, 
I  should  have  suspected  least  of  all  of  allying  yourself  with 
the  malcontents." 

"  I  can  not  help  it,  your  highness,"  replied  Burgsdorf  dog- 
gedly. "  I  must  grieve  over  the  good  old  times,  and  it  will 
just  break  my  heart  to  see  the  old  castle  fall.  Ah!  in  those 
days  we  used  to  be  so  free  and  sociable,  so  lively  and  gay. 
Ah!  that  was  a  merry  life  when  we  used  to  sit  around  the 
Electoral  table  telling  good  stories,  with  the  great  bumpers  of 
wine  before  us,  emitting  such  delightful  fragrance.  And  did 
not  we  understand  drinking,  and  did  not  the  Elector  know 
how  to  pledge  us!  I  still  think  with  pleasure  of  the  day  when 
I  was  to  give  his  grace  a  proof  of  my  capacity  in  that  line,  and 
before  his  eyes  drank  off  eighteen  quarts  of  wine  without  giv- 
ing any  sign  of  being  intoxicated.  The  Elector  laughed  until 
he  cried,  and  as  a  mark  of  his  satisfaction  presented  me  with 
a  village  the  self-same  day.  Another  time  I  must  drink  a 
quart  of  wine  before  him.  I  did  so  at  one  draught,  without 
pausing  to  take  breath,  and  then  the  Elector  gave  me  Castle 
Damke  for  a  reward."  * 

"  So  you  owe  your  wealth  to  your  drinking,  my  lord  cham- 
berlain! "  cried  the  Electress  indignantly.  "Now  I  under- 
stand your  complaints:  you  regret  the  times  when  castles  and 
estates  were  awarded  not  to  men  of  merit,  but  to  immoderate 
drinkers! "  f 

Conrad  von  Burgsdorf  ventured  no  reply,  but  a  momen- 
tary pallor  overspread  his  red  bloated  face,  and  mortal  hatred 
flashed  in  the  glance  he  cast  upon  the  Electress's  slender 
form. 

*  Historical.    See  King,  Description  of  Berlin,  vol.  i,  p.  237. 
f  The  Elector's  own  words. 


THE  FIRST  CAULIFLOWER.  243 

The  Elector  laughed.  "  Well,"  he  said,  laying  his  hand 
familiarly  upon  Burgsdorf's  shoulder,  "  her  grace  gave  you  a 
right  sharp  answer,  not  undeserved  either,  I  trow.  You  did 
contrive  to  wheedle  my  kind-hearted  father  too  easily  out  of 
high  honors  and  rich  gifts.  It  was  right  pleasant  for  you,  no 
doubt,  to  drink  Electoral  wine,  and  be  rewarded  into  the  bar- 
gain with  manors  and  lands.  But  while  you  were  being  en- 
riched, we  became  poor,  and  it  imposed  upon  my  father's  suc- 
cessor the  difficult  duty  of  economy  in  place  of  a  princely 
generosity.  "  I  must  therefore  sometimes  submit  to  the  stigma 
of  meanness,  being  against  my  will  oftentimes  under  the 
necessity  of  seeming  so." 

"  Your  highness,"  cried  Burgsdorf  passionately,  "  yours 
are  bitter,  cruel  words,  and  my  old  heart  writhes  under  them. 
True  it  is  that  the  Elector  George  William  was  a  most  gra- 
cious and  condescending  lord,  who  treated  his  servants  like 
friends,  and  loved  to  make  them  presents.  Eegarding  his  sub- 
jects as  his  children,  he  did  not  make  their  duties  heavy,  and 
imposed  as  few  taxes  upon  them  as  possible,  preferring  to 
draw  upon  his  own  means  rather  than  to  burden  the  people. 
But  I  can  not  admit,  as  her  grace  the  Electress  remarked,  that 
we,  his  faithful  servants,  deserved  our  manors  and  estates  only 
for  feats  in  drinking.  No,  your  grace,  we  had  won  them  by 
our  trusty  arms,  often  enough  having  imperiled  our  lives  and 
shed  our  blood  for  our  master.  Full  well  the  Elector  knew 
that  he  could  count  upon  our  constancy  and  devotion  in  evil 
as  well  as  in  good  report." 

"And  I  know  that  too,  Burgsdorf,"  said  the  Elector, 
smiling,  "and  therefore  you  should  not  allow  yourself  to  be- 
come so  heated.  Both  my  wife  and  I  fully  appreciate  your 
services,  and  could  not  do  without  you.  As  to  your  regrets 
over  the  gray  old  castle,  cease  to  mourn,  lord  chamberlain; 
your  memories  need  not  fall  at  the  same  time,  for  I  hope  they 
are  deeply  rooted  in  your  heart  and  will  long  be  green.  Lastly, 
old  grumbler,  I  must  warn  you  against  being  so  unmannerly 
and  sarcastic.  One  passage  in  your  discourse  was  peculiarly 
displeasing  to  me,  when  you  said  that  my  father  loved  his 
subjects  so  much  that  he  taxed  them  as  little  as  possible.  This 
was  a  mode  of  speech  which  you  should  never  have  presumed 


244  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

to  adopt,  and  to  which  I  will  only  make  this  reply:  lie  who 
taxes  and  takes  from  the  poor  classes  who  have  nothing,  and 
work  for  their  daily  bread,  acts  in  a  godless,  cruel  manner, 
and  feeds  upon  his  own  vitals.  For  the  laboring  classes  are 
the  life  blood  of  a  sovereign,  and  he  who  overtasks  them  weak- 
ens himself.  But  to  tax  the  rich  landowners  and  noblemen, 
who  in  their  luxurious  mansions  play  the  great  lord  and  petty 
tyrants,  to  make  such  men  realize  that  there  is  some  one  above 
them  besides  God,  to  bring  them  into  subjection  and  make 
them  feel  that  they  must  share  the  burdens  as  well  as  the  bene- 
fits of  government — to  do  this  is  wise,  necessary,  and  reason- 
able, and  to  this  course  I  shall  steadfastly  adhere.  The  mut- 
terings  and  complainings  of  the  great  lords  and  nobility  shall 
not  cause  me  to  swerve  from  my  purpose.  Lay  this  to  heart, 
old  man,  and  shape  your  course  accordingly.  And  now  go 
and  shoot  plenty  of  hares,  and  to-morrow  give  me  an  account 
of  your  sport." 

He  nodded  kindly  to  Burgsdorf,  who  had  listened  to  him 
with  a  moody,  sullen  air,  and  then  turned  to  his  wife.  "  Come, 
Electress,  permit  me  to  escort  you  back  to  your  apartments, 
for  I  must  repair  to  my  cabinet  and  meet  my  councillors." 

Louisa  took  his  arm,  and,  without  deigning  to  notice  the 
lord  chamberlain,  allowed  herself  to  be  led  away  by  her  hus- 
band. 


V. — THE  LADY  FROM  A  FOREIGN  LAND. 

BURGSDORF  looked  after  them,  while  ever  redder  grew  his 
face  and  more  wrathful  his  glance.  Once  he  opened  his  lips, 
for  the  utterance  of  a  threat  or  imprecation,  but  quickly 
closed  them  again,  muttering,  in  low  tones,  "  Not  here,  no, 
not  here! "  Then,  with  unusual  swiftness,  he  crossed  the 
pleasure  grounds  and  castle  square  and  entered  his  own  house. 
To  the  lackey  who  advanced  to  meet  him  he  administered  a 
sound  box  on  the  ear,  called  him  an  ass,  threw  his  gold-laced 
hat  at  his  head,  and  then  strode  upstairs.  Going  along  the 
passage,  he  had  the  inexpressible  satisfaction  of  finding  an- 


THE  LADY  PROM  A  FOREIGN  LAND.      245 

other  lackey  before  his  cabinet  door,  to  whom  he  could  like- 
wise administer  a  box  on  the  ear,  because  he  had  dared  to  come 
in  his  way;  then  he  entered  his  sitting  room.  Here  he  was 
alone,  here  he  could  give  vent  to  his  spleen  without  fear  of 
being  overheard  by  any  one,  for  well  he  knew  that  the  two 
slaps  just  given  would  be  the  signal  for  the  whole  body  of 
domestics  to  congregate  in  the  most  remote  apartments  of 
the  house.  He  was  therefore  alone,  and  could  curse  and  swear 
to  his  heart's  content. 

"  I  knew  and  felt  it  from  the  beginning,"  he  said,  snarling 
like  a  chained  bloodhound.  "  This  woman  will  ruin  us  all. 
I  knew  she  would  cool  his  regard  for  me  by  her  overweening 
influence.  I  am  nothing  now,  nothing  at  all!  He  will  not 
even  follow  the  chase  against  her  wishes,  although  it  used  to 
be  his  highest  delight  and  strongest  passion.  There  is  no 
longer  any  drinking,  and  we  are  as  tame  and  subdued  at 
table  as  if  we  were  minstrels,  whose  only  duty  it  was  to  strike 
the  lute  and  sound  our  mistress's  praises.  It  is  a  tiresome  life 
this  life  of  ours,  and  I  shall  not  endure  it  longer.  I  should 
not  wonder  at  all  if  we  were  all  summoned  to  Boetzow  to 
learn  to  milk  and  churn,  the  Elector  at  our  head,  for  he  will 
be  milking  a  cow  next,  as  he  has  learned  to  plant  cabbage 
to-day.  Yes,  the  time  has  indeed  gone  by  for  me  to  obtain 
anything.  She  gets  everything.  There  is  Boetzow,  on  which 
I  had  set  my  eye,  handed  over  to  her  for  the  carrying  out  of 
her  milkmaid  whims,  while  I  must  stand  by  and  bite  my  fin- 
gers." 

Hotter  and  hotter  waxed  his  fury,  until  he  had  vowed  to 
wreak  his  vengeance  against  her  whom  his  soul  hated  in  the 
way  most  certain  to  destroy  a  loving  woman's  happiness.  He 
would  work  upon  the  Elector's  jealousy,  and  thus  taste  the 
sweet  morsel  of  revenge. 

Suddenly  a  loud  knock  at  the  door  interrupted  him  in  his 
by  no  means  amiable  soliloquy,  and  his  gray  eyes  turned  in  the 
direction  of  the  door.  The  knocking  was  repeated.  "  I  will 
beat  the  fellow  that  dares  to  knock  into  a  jelly,"  muttered  the 
high  chancellor,  "  and  he  shall  remember  it  all  the  days  of  his 
life." 

"Who  is  there?"  he  asked  aloud. 


246  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  I,  gracious  sir!  "  squeaked  a  fine  voice  through  the  key- 
hole. "  I  only  want  to  tell  your  grace  that  somebody  is  here 
who  asks  to  speak  with  your  excellency." 

"  The  fellow  disguises  his  voice/'  murmured  the  lord  high 
chancellor;  "  he  knows  what  he  has  to  expect,  and  therefore 
would  not  have  me  recognize  him.  Come  in! "  he  called,  in 
gentle,  pleasant  tones — "  come  in  and  deliver  your  message!  " 

But  the  lackey  knew  his  master's  habits  too  well  to  accept 
the  friendly  invitation.  "A  strange  lady  is  here! "  he  piped 
through  the  keyhole. 

"  A  lady!  "  growled  Burgsdorf.  "  I  am  just  in  the  mood  to 
talk  with  a  lady.  What  sort  of  a  lady?  Come  in  and  tell  me!  " 
he  cried  aloud,  while  he  stepped  on  tiptoe  to  the  door. 

"  It  is  a  lady  who  will  not  tell  her  name!  "  was  sung 
through  the  keyhole;  "  but  she  says  she  must  see  the  lord  high 
chamberlain  himself  directly " 

Burgsdorf  had  now  gained  the  door,  tore  it  open,  and 
stretched  out  his  hand  to  seize  the  venturous  lackey;  but  the 
latter  seemed  to  have  been  prepared  for  this  as  well,  for,  with 
surprising  leaps,  he  bounded  through  the  antechamber  and 
rushed  out  into  the  passage.  Despite  his  clumsiness,  Burgs- 
dorf followed  in  hot  pursuit,  resembling  a  bombshell  on  the 
point  of  bursting.  Like  a  hunted  deer  the  lackey  flew  to  the 
staircase,  and  descended  three  steps  at  a  time.  After  him 
came  the  lord  high  chamberlain,  cursing  and  threatening. 
He  had  already  reached  the  stairs,  when  suddenly,  as  if  struck 
by  lightning,  he  paused  in  mid  career,  and  gazed  upon  the  tall 
erect  form  of  a  lady  who  appeared  upon  the  landing.  She 
was  enveloped  in  a  black  mantle  with  sweeping  train,  and  a 
little  hat  worn  jauntily  to  one  side  of  her  head  revealed  a  pro- 
fusion of  brown  tresses.  A  black  veil  fell  down  over  her  face, 
but  through  this  sparkled  her  large  lustrous  eyes,  like  stars. 
As  soon  as  she  caught  sight  of  the  high  chamberlain  she  raised 
her  little  gloved  hand,  and  with  ineffable  grace  drew  back  her 
veil. 

The  high  chamberlain  uttered  a  low  "  Ah! "  of  admira- 
tion at  the  sight  of  this  dazzlingly  beautiful  face.  The  in- 
voluntary flattery  of  this  exclamation  elicited  a  smile  upon  the 
lady's  pouting  cherry  lips. 


THE  LADY  FROM  A  FOREIGN  LAND.      24:7 

"  Are  you  the  High  Chamberlain  von  Burgsdorf  ?  "  she 
asked  in  fluent  German,  with  only  a  slightly  foreign  accent. 

"  Yes,"  faltered  forth  Burgsdorf,  still  panting  for  breath 
from  the  violence  of  his  chase. 

"  Call  your  lackeys  to  unstrap  my  trunks,"  she  said,  in  a 
tone  of  command.  "  Be  quick,  my  lord,  be  quick!  " 

The  high  chamberlain  seemed  actually  enchanted  by  this 
mysterious  beauty,  for  he  had  not  the  courage  to  resist  her 
assumption  of  authority,  but  raised  his  voice  and  called  the 
servants.  "  Christian,  Fritz,  here,  you  rascals!  Hurry!  " 

They  came  running  forward,  and  as  soon  as  the  lady  des- 
cried them  with  outspread  arms  she  flew  up  the  steps  and  at 
the  high  chamberlain. 

"  My  dear,  dear  father!  "  she  exclaimed,  flinging  her  arms 
around  his  neck.  As  she  did  so  she  whispered  softly  in  his 
ear:  "  Return  my  embrace.  Call  me  your  daughter." 

He  was  like  an  automaton,  forced  to  do  the  enchantress's 
will.  He  threw  his  arms  around  her  neck  and  said,  "  Wel- 
come, daughter,  you  are  heartily  welcome! " 

"  You  bid  me  welcome,  then!  "  she  cried  joyfully.  "  You 
will  permit  your  daughter,  who  has  just  returned  from  Paris, 
to  spend  a  few  days  with  you  ?  Say  '  Yes,' "  she  whispered, 
"  for  Heaven's  sake  say  '  Yes.'  Order  your  servants  to  carry  my 
trunks  to  your  guest  chamber!  " 

"  Yes,"  called  out  Burgsdorf.  "  I  shall  be  overjoyed  to 
have  you  with  me  a  few  days,  my  daughter. — Ho,  you  fellows! 
do  not  stand  there  gaping,  but  run  down  and  bring  up  Madame 
von  Kanitz's  trunks.  Carry  them  to  the  best  spare  room,  and 
tell  the  housekeeper  to  put  everything  in  nice  order,  for  my 
dear  daughter,  Madame  von  Kanitz,  is  to  pass  some  days 
with  me." 

The  servants  flew  downstairs,  and  the  high  chamberlain 
was  left  alone  with  his  problematical  daughter. 

"  Give  me  the  assistance  of  your  arm  and  lead  me  into  your 
drawing  room,"  she  said,  in  her  proud,  imperious  voice. 

Automatonlike  he  still  obeyed,  offered  the  lady  his  arm, 
walked  obediently  down  the  passage  to  the  drawing  room, 
threw  open  the  door,  and  by  a  silent  wave  of  the  hand  motioned 
her  to  enter. 


24:8  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

Her  wide  silk  skirts  rustled  as  she  swept  past  him  and  en- 
tered the  room,  bidding  the  high  chamberlain  close  the  door, 
and  taking  a  rapid  survey  of  the  apartment  with  her  large 
flashing  eyes. 

"Are  we  alone?"  she  asked.  "Could  anybody  overhear 
us?" 

She  fixed  her  queenly  glance  upon  the  high  chamberlain, 
and  suddenly  broke  forth  into  a  loud,  silvery  laugh. 

"  Confess,  my  dear  father,  that  you  have  not  yet  recovered 
from  the  surprise  of  so  sudden  and  unexpected  a  meeting  with 
your  beloved  daughter?  " 

"  Yes,  I  am  indeed  a  little  astonished,  and " 

"  You  would  like  to  know,"  interrupted  the  lady,  "  how 
it  happens  that  the  fair  young  widow,  Madame  von  Kanitz, 
who  just  went  to  Paris  a  few  weeks  since,  to  be  diverted  a  little 
from  her  grief,  should  have  returned  so  speedily  ?  " 

"  No  such  thing,"  quickly  returned  Burgsdorf.  "  I  do 
not  trouble  myself  in  the  least  about  my  daughter;  I  have 
nothing  to  do  with  her,  and  knew  nothing  of  her  going  to 
Paris  as  a  gay  widow." 

Again  the  lady  burst  out  into  a  merry  laugh. 

"  You  please  me  uncommonly,"  she  cried,  "  and  you  are 
exactly  what  your  daughter  pictured  you  to  be.  Oh,  I  -am 
certain  we  shall  become  good  friends,  and  soon  understand  one 
another." 

"  I  desire  nothing  better,"  said  Burgsdorf  hastily.  "  I 
beg,  therefore,  that  you  will  tell  me  how  that  end  may  be  ef- 
fected." 

"  Patience,  patience,  my  dear  lord  chamberlain,"  replied 
the  lady,  with  a  smile,  which  displayed  two  rows  of  most  ex- 
quisite teeth.  "  Explanations  come  not  so  quickly,  sir.  First 
help  me  to  take  off  my  hat  and  mantle,  for  it  behooves  a 
daughter  to  make  herself  at  home  in  her  father's  house." 

Courteously  he  lent  his  aid  in  relieving  her  of  her  cloak, 
and  with  a  bow  took  the  little  hat  from  her  hand. 

"  Now  look  at  me,"  she  said,  with  dignity.  "  Look  at  me 
right  closely,  and  then  say  whether  you  recognize  me." 

Burgsdorf  obeyed  and  scanned  her  narrowly.  His  eyes 
seemed  to  find  a  peculiar  satisfaction  in  their  task,  for  they 


THE  LADY  FROM  A  FOREIGN  LAND.      249 

brightened  and  plainly  expressed  the  joyful  admiration  which 
filled  him  at  the  sight  of  that  slender,  graceful  form,  the  rosy 
countenance,  with  its  burning  black  eyes,  the  smiling  red  lips, 
and  the  high,  white  forehead,  encircled  by  dark  hair  that 
covered  her  head  with  a  profusion  of  little  ringlets.  Only 
one  thing  detracted  from  his  enjoyment  in  the  contem- 
plation of  these  ravishing  charms:  that  was  the  tightly 
fitting  robe  of  black  silk  she  wore,  with  a  stiff  white  ruff  high 
in  the  throat,  which  Burgsdorf  remembered  as  the  uniform  of 
nuns  in  French  convents.  The  hair,  which  she  had  arranged 
in  such  charming  ringlets  above  her  brow  and  on  both  sides 
of  the  temples,  was  covered  behind  by  a  black  cap,  which 
seemed  much  more  suitable  for  a  matron  or  nun  than  for  the 
head  of  this  fascinating  woman  of  the  world. 

"  Well,  you  have  examined  me  quite  narrowly,"  said  the 
lady  after  a  short  pause;  "  now  tell  me  whether  or  not  you 
know  me." 

"  I  am  sorry  that  I  must  answer  no,"  replied  Burgsdorf, 
with  a  bow. 

"  I  am  then  greatly  altered,"  sighed  she,  "  I  have  grown 
old.  'Tis  true,  many  years  have  passed  since  you  last  saw 
me." 

"  Did  I  ever  see  your  grace?  "  asked  Burgsdorf,  astounded. 

"  Yes,  my  lord  chamberlain,  here  at  Berlin  where  we  found 
an  asylum  in  our  flight  from  Prague,  and  rested  under  our 
uncle's  roof,  before  we  repaired  to  The  Hague.  Yes,  you  saw 
me,  and  not  merely  as  a  child,  either,  for  you  dared  to  kiss  my 
hand  and I  will  now  permit  you  to  do  the  same." 

She  drew  off  her  glove  and  offered  him  her  little  hand, 
sparkling  with  diamond  rings.  He  pressed  it  to  his  lips,  but  as 
he  did  so  his  cunning  gray  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  massive 
signet  ring  which  she  wore  upon  the  middle  finger.  The  coat 
of  arms  was  engraved  upon  an  immense  ruby.  He  could  not, 
indeed,  prolong  the  kiss  so  as  to  distinguish  the  armorial 
bearings,  but  he  had  seen  the  prince's  crown  surmounting 
them,  and  therefore  was  at  least  certain  that  he  had  to  do 
with  a  lady  of  exalted  rank. 

"And  now,  my  lord  chamberlain,"  said  the  lady,  lightly 
crossing  the  room  and,  with  freedom  from  all  restraint,  en- 


250  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

sconcing  herself  in  the  only  cushioned  armchair  in  the  room, 
"  our  explanations  will  begin.  Take  a  chair,  for  I  allow  you 
to  sit  down." 

She  said  this  with  such  an  air  of  sovereignty  that  Burgs- 
dorf  actually  received  as  a  favor  her  permission  to  sit  in  her 
presence. 

"  My  lord  chamberlain,"  she  said,  "  for  the  present  it  mat- 
ters not  who  I  am;  you  will  learn  that  soon  enough.  It  is 
sufficient  for  you  to  know  my  wishes,  and,  that  you  may  not 
be  a  moment  longer  in  doubt  about  me,  I  shall  hand  you  a 
note  from  the  French  ambassador  to  this  court,  Count  de 
Chanut,  who  at  this  time,  as  you  well  know,  is  not  here  but 
in  France." 

She  took  from  her  pocket  a  sealed  packet  and  handed 
it  to  the  high  chamberlain,  holding  it  with  the  tips  of  her 
rosy  fingers. 

"  "Will  your  grace  permit  me  to  read  it  in  your  presence?  " 
asked  Burgsdorf,  breaking  the  seal. 

"  Do  so,  and,  that  we  may  both  know  what  the  dear  count 
has  written,  you  may  read  the  note  aloud  to  me." 

Burgsdorf  bowed  gratefully,  as  if  the  lady  had  actually 
granted  him  a  favor,  and  then  began  to  read: 

"  MY  LOKD  HIGH  CHAMBERLAIN  VON  BURGSDORF: 
"  I  take  the  liberty  of  making  a  request  of  you.  Interest 
yourself  warmly  in  the  illustrious  lady  who  will  transmit  these 
lines  to  you.  Be  her  knight,  her  devoted  champion,  and  first  of 
all  contrive  to  procure  her  an  early  interview  with  his  High- 
ness the  Elector.  I  know  that  we  can  count  upon  you,  and 
number  you  among  the  friends  of  France.  His  Majesty  King 
Louis  knows  this  also,  and  has  it  at  heart  to  present  you 
with  a  testimony  of  his  gratitude  and  contentment.  If 
through  your  mediation  the  illustrious  lady  shall  succeed, 
not  only  in  obtaining  one  interview  with  the  Elector  but 
many,  that  she  may  acquire  influence  over  his  decisions,  then 
his  Majesty  the  King  of  France  will  pay  a  subsidy  to  you  as 
he  does  already  to  most  of  the  German  princes,  and  so  long  as 
you  remain  a  true  friend  to  France  you  may  expect  to  re- 
ceive an  annual  income  of  ten  thousand  louis  d'or.  The  il- 


THE  LADY  FROM  A  FOREIGN  LAND.      251 

lustrious  lady  will  have  the  kindness  to  hand  you  the  first 
installment  of  your  salary  immediately  after  her  first  inter- 
view with  the  Elector. 

"  Your  devoted  friend, 

"  CHANUT." 

"  Well,"  asked  the  lady,  when  he  had  read  to  the  end, 
"  how  do  you  like  the  letter?  " 

"  Most  gracious  lady,  I " 

"  Highness  is  my  title,"  she  interrupted. 

"  Most  gracious  highness,  I  am  charmed  with  it,  only " 

"  Only  you  would  like  to  know  what  it  is  all  about.  Con- 
sole yourself.  I  have  not  come  to  make  a  murderous  attempt 
upon  your  Elector.  Oh,  no;  on  the  contrary,  I  would  seek 
to  win  him  for  myself — that  is  to  say^  for  France.  In  these 
words  is  explained  the  whole  object  of  my  mission  here.  It 
is  known  at  Paris  that  the  Emperor  of  Germany  is  using  every 
exertion  to  persuade  the  Elector  to  forsake  his  neutrality,  and 
declare  himself  an  imperial  partisan,  to  take  the  field  against 
the  Prince  of  Conde  in  conjunction  with  the  Duke  of  Lor- 
raine, who  is  battling  on  the  Ehine  for  his  so-called  patrimony. 
The  Elector's  journey  to  Prague  has  given  rise  to  much  anx- 
iety, for  it  has  been  determined  to  try  to  bring  the  Elector 
over  to  the  interests  of  France." 

"  Alas!  that  will  be  attended  with  great  difficulty,"  sighed 
Burgsdorf .  "  The  Electress's  influence  over  her  husband  in- 
creases daily,  and  as  she  is  one  of  France's  most  decided  op- 
ponents, and  a  warm  Imperialist,  she  will  naturally  succeed  in 
converting  the  Elector  to  her  way  of  thinking.  Now,  if  there 
were  any  one  who  could  counteract  and  undermine  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Electress,  the  case  would  be  different,  and  there 
might  be  hope  of  gaining  him  for  France." 

"  Ah!  Chanut's  report  must  be  correct  then,"  exclaimed 
the  lady  joyfully.  "  The  Elector  is  manageable.  Hark!  I 
shall  be  candid  with  you,  and  expect  you  to  be  the  same  with 
me.  They  wrote  to  Count  Chanut  from  Paris  for  a  description 
of  Elector  Frederick  William's  character.  Hear  his  answer. 
Oh!  I  can  repeat  it  word  for  word,  because  I  learned  it  by 
heart,  that  I  might  make  use  of  it  as  a  guide  for  my  own  con- 
17 


252  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER, 

duct.  Listen  then:  '  I  regard  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg 
as  a  prince  of  great  judgment  and  good  sense.  But  he  has 
the  failing  of  his  family,  being  too  easily  subject  to  control, 
and  as  he  has  not  been  fortunate  enough  always  to  find  com- 
petent men  on  whom  to  impose  the  burden  of  his  great  affairs, 
they  have  fallen  into  entanglement.  He  is  also  subjected  to 
great  embarrassment  from  pecuniary  difficulties.  Hitherto 
the  Lord  High  Chamberlain  Burgsdorf  exerted  the  greatest 
influence  over  him;  but  he  has  recently  been  superseded  by 
Princess  Amelia  of  Orange,  and  his  young  wife  also  begins  to 
make  her  influence  felt.'  *  So  says  Chanut,  and  I  would  learn 
of  you  whether  his  words  embody  truth." 

"  Yes,  your  highness,  the  pure,  unadulterated  truth.  I 
must  admit  that  my  star  is  on  the  wane,  and  the  Electress, 
thanks  to  her  crafty  mother's  counsels,  seems  daily  to  be  ac- 
quiring more  complete  ascendency  over  her  husband.  If  she 
gains  her  point,  the  Elector  will  soon  rank  among  the  enemies 
of  France,  and  take  the  field  with  the  Emperor  of  Germany 
in  behalf  of  Lorraine." 

"  But  she  shall  not  gain  her  point! "  cried  the  lady  em- 
phatically. "  For  that  very  reason  have  I  come.  I  shall  break 
the  young  Electress's  power,  and  free  the  Elector  from  this 
ruinous  petticoat  government.  I  shall  put  in  play  every  ex- 
pedient of  art  and  persuasion  to  win  him  to  the  side  of  France, 
and  extricate  him  from  the  snares  of  the  Emperor  of  Ger- 
many." 

"  If  you  succeed,  your  highness,  you  will  make  me  your 
most  humble  and  devoted  slave! "  cried  Burgsdorf.  "  Oh, 
I  beseech  you,  who  understand  the  arts  of  enchantment,  so  to 
enchant  my  beloved  master  that  he  may  return  to  me  and 
memories  of  old  times.  I  love  him  so  much  that  if  the  young 
Electress's  influence  should  deprive  me  of  his  confidence  and 
friendship,  I  would  die  of  grief  and  rage." 

"  You  shall  not  die,"  cried  the  lady,  "  for  I  am  here,  and 
together  we  will  conclude  a  league  offensive  and  defensive. 
Shall  we  not?  " 

"  Most  gracious  highness,"  cried  Burgsdorf,  "  I  am  ready 

*  Chanut's  own  words.    See  Droysen,  History  of  Prussia,  vol.  iii,  part 
2,  p.  61. 


THE  LADY  FROM  A  FOREIGN  LAND.  253 

to  become  your  servant,  your  slave.  I  swear  to  yield  implicit 
obedience  to  all  your  orders,  and  to  support  all  your  plans. 
On  my  knees ': 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  do  not  kneel,"  interrupted  the  lady, 
detaining  Burgsdorf,  who  was  about  to  fall  on  his  knees. 
"  Consider,  dear  old  man,  that  you  resemble  Falstaff,  and, 
like  Sir  John,  would  have  to  cry  out,  '  Have  you  any  levers 
to  lift  me  up  again,  being  down? '  No,  stand  up.  I  be- 
lieve your  protestations,  for  one  consideration  gives  se- 
curity for  your  good  faith;  verily,  an  annuity  of  ten  thou- 
sand louis  d'or  is  a  consideration,  and  I  am  sure  you  will 
use  all  diligence  to  assure  yourself  of  its  possession.  It  is 
settled,  then,  we  are  friends  and  allies.  We  unite  for 
France  against  the  Electress  and  the  Emperor  of  Ger- 
many." 

"  Yes,  we  unite  upon  that! "  cried  Burgsdorf  enthusias- 
tically, at  the  same  time  pressing  the  lady's  proffered  hand  to 
his  lips. 

"  Will  you  procure  me  a  secret  interview  with  the  Elec- 
tor? " 

"  I  shall  procure  it,  your  highness.  I  know  not  yet  how 
it  will  be  possible,  but  it  shall  be  made  possible." 

"And  this  interview  must  take  place  to-morrow.  Hush! 
no  remonstrances.  Remember,  you  shall  then  draw  the  first 
quarter  of  your  salary  to-morrow." 

"  This  interview  will  take  place  to-morrow,"  said  Burgs- 
dorf, bowing  profoundly. 

"  Good!  We  can  arrange  all  the  rest  at  breakfast,  and  I 
shall  then  give  you  an  explanation  of  all  that  concerns  myself. 
I  allow  you  now  to  hand  your  daughter  in  to  breakfast,  and 
hope  you  will  be  good  enough  always  to  address  me  as  your 
daughter  before  the  members  of  your  household,  and  not  for 
one  instant  to  forget  your  part  as  father.  At  Mentz  I  dismissed 
my  French  servants,  and  in  Frankfort,  as  Madame  von  Kanitz, 
hired  a  German  valet  and  maid.  You  see  that  my  secret  is 
well  guarded,  and  that  no  one  can  fathom  it.  Your  daughter 
herself  told  me  that  her  person  was  unknown  to  your  servants, 
as  she  had  never  entered  her  father's  house;  and,  as  an  addi- 
tional safeguard,  Madame  von  Kanitz  wrote  to  her  mother 


254:  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

that  she  was  about  to  visit  Berlin,  because  she  longed  to  be 
reconciled  with  her  dear  father." 

"  The  old  termagant  will  be  delighted  at  this,"  laughed 
Burgsdorf ;  "  she  will  doubtless  take  to  her  bed  on  the  occasion 
and  drink  camomile  tea." 

The  lady  echoed  his  laughed.  "  Come,  tres  cher  pere"  said 
she, "  take  me  into  the  dining  room,  for  I  feel  my  human  weak- 
ness: I  am  hungry! " 


VI. — THE  SKELETON. 

THE  day  after  the  Elector's  return  an  unusual  stir  and 
bustle  prevailed  on  the  castle  square,  and  more  especially 
around  the  castle  itself;  carpenters  and  masons,  joiners  and 
bricklayers  displayed  unwonted  activity.  To  and  fro  moved 
the  master  builder  Memmhart  with  contented  face,  sometimes 
on  that  side  of  the  castle  where  the  masons  were  busied  upon 
the  new  building,  sometimes  on  the  other,  where  they  were 
about  to  tear  down  an  old  ruined  wing  of  the  castle,  to  make 
way  for  a  loftier  and  handsomer  erection.  This  wing  fronted 
upon  the  cathedral  square,  and  here  was  to  be  reared  the  long 
magnificent  facade  of  the  new  castle,  already  planned  by  the 
master  builder's  inventive  brain. 

Many  laborers  were  employed  upon  the  building  to-day, 
and  as  they  worked  they  laughed,  jested,  and  sang  merry  songs, 
and  the  passers-by  paused  to  watch  the  masons  clambering 
up  and  down  upon  the  roof,  taking  off  stones  and  handing 
them  along.  It  was  delightful  to  see  the  regularity  with  which 
the  work  went  on,  and  to  follow  the  stones  as  they  passed 
from  hand  to  hand,  until  from  the  top  of  the  roof  they  finally 
reached  the  ground,  where  they  were  carefully  piled  up.  Grad- 
ually the  throng  of  lookers-on  in  the  square  multiplied,  and 
they  told  one  another  that  as  soon  as  the  roof  was  removed, 
and  the  carpenters  had  taken  away  the  rafters,  a  company  of 
soldiers  with  battering  rams  would  come  to  knock  down  the 
old  walls.  As  on  the  day  before,  shoemaker  Wendt  and  tailor 


THE  SKELETON.  255 

Fiirberg  were  among  the  gaping  crowd,  and  soon  a  circle  of 
acquaintances  collected  around  them,  for  these  two  mechanics 
had  the  reputation,  among  their  fellows,  of  being  wise  men, 
who  did  not  allow  themselves  to  be  imposed  upon  by  Electoral 
pomp  and  glory,  but  criticised  their  Elector's  proceedings  with 
unsparing  severity,  and  sat  in  judgment  upon  the  Government. 

"  Have  you  heard,  Master  Fiirberg,  that  the  Elector  is  on 
the  point  of  imposing  a  new  tax?"  asked  one  of  his  near 
neighbors  of  the  tailor,  who  had  the  credit  of  being  a  sharp 
politician. 

"  Yes,  indeed,  I  have  heard  it,"  replied  the  tailor,  putting 
on  an  air  of  importance  and  raising  his  eyebrows.  "  The 
Elector  wants  to  enlarge  his  military  establishment.  That 
will,  of  course,  require  a  great  deal  of  money,  and  who  is  to 
pay  it?  We,  to  be  sure — we,  the  burghers,  artisans,  and  peas- 
ants. It  seems  that  we  are  only  put  into  the  world  to  pay 
imposts  and  taxes,  that  our  Elector  may  maintain  a  large  mili- 
tary force.  It  is  true,  we  have  neither  money  nor  work,  for 
if  we  had  work  we  would  not  be  standing  here  idle  in  the 
street.  Now,  if  we  have  no  work,  it  follows  that  we  can  have 
no  money." 

"  Very  true,  very  just,"  sounded  from  the  ever-increasing 
circle  of  listeners.  "  We  have  no  work  and  no  money;  how 
then  are  we  to  pay  taxes  ?  " 

"  Out  of  your  poverty,"  hissed  the  tailor.  "  To  be  sure, 
you  can  hire  yourselves  out  by  the  day  to  work  upon  the  castle. 
Herr  Memmhart  would  doubtless  condescend  to  receive  you 
into  the  number  of  his  hodcarriers,  and  pay  you  a  few  cents 
daily,  and  then,  if  you  are  right  economical  and  content  your- 
selves with  dry  bread  and  cold  water,  perhaps  you  may  save 
enough  of  your  wages  to  pay  the  new  tax." 

"  It  is  a  sin  and  a  shame!  "  exclaimed  shoemaker  Wendt. 
"  No  work,  no  profits,  and  yet  forever  called  upon  to  pay 
taxes.  What  are  we  coming  to?" 

"  Beggary  and  starvation!  "  shouted  Ewald,  the  cobbler. 
"  If  we  were  beggars,  we  would  not  be  taxed.  Glaus  is  the 
wisest  among  us;  he  does  not  work  nor  disturb  himself  about 
giving  tribute,  and  yet  he  lives,  and,  as  you  saw  yesterday,  he  is 
a  very  distinguished  man,  especially  favored  fey  the  Elector. 


256  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

For  you  saw  yourselves  how  long  he  talked  with  him,  and  how 
vexed  he  was  at  his  having  fallen  for  a  little  while  into  our 
power.  The  Elector  even  sent  his  own  physician  to  visit  and 
prescribe  for  the  beggar  Glaus." 

"  But  it  was  not  at  all  necessary,"  screeched  Kurt,  the 
leech.  "  When  the  doctor  got  there,  the  devil  had  been  be- 
forehand with  him." 

"What?"  interrupted  another  townsman.  "Did  the 
devil  carry  Glaus  off?  Friends,  hear  the  news.  Glaus  is  dead." 

"  Glaus  is  dead!  The  devil  has  carried  off  the  beggar 
Glaus! "  sounded  from  mouth  to  mouth. 

"  No!  "  screamed  the  leech,  "  I  said  no  such  thing.  I  only 
said  that  the  devil  had  paid  him  a  visit.  If  you  will  attend, 
I  will  tell  you  the  whole  story,  and  prove  to  you  that,  just  as 
I  have  always  said,  Glaus  is  a  conjurer  and  wizard.  Will  you 
listen  to  me?  " 

"  Hear!  hear!  "  resounded  from  all  directions.  "  Go  on, 
Master  Kurt,  go  on!  " 

"Well,  you  saw  the  fellow's  condition  yesterday.  He 
could  not  move  at  all,  so  that  the  High  Chamberlain  Burgs- 
dorf  had  to  call  four  soldiers  to  carry  him  on  a  litter  to  his 
den.  You  know  where  he  lives,  in  that  old  dilapidated  house 
behind  the  orangery,  where  the  Electoral  gardener  used  to  live. 
He  managed  to  find  a  room  there  whose  walls  were  sound,  and 
where  the  roof  did  not  leak,  and  the  Elector  himself  gave  him 
leave  to  take  up  his  quarters  there.  Thither  the  soldiers  car- 
ried Glaus,  and  I  followed,  for  I  thought  the  fellow  might 
have  to  be  bled  or  leeched,  and,  as  it  was  to  be  done  at  the 
Elector's  expense,  I  could  afford  to  stand  by  the  beggar  in  his 
distress.  I  had  some  curiosity,  too,  to  see  his  room.  So  they 
set  him  down  before  his  lodging  place,  but  what  do  you  think? 
The  beggar  Glaus  has  a  lock  upon  his  door." 

"  The  beggar  Glaus  has  a  lock  upon  his  door!  "  was  echoed 
in  astonishment  from  all  sides. 

"  Yes,  only  think,"  continued  the  leech,  "  he  can  fasten 
his  door  so  that  nobody  can  get  in!  When  we  found  that  the 
door  was  made  fast,  the  soldiers  and  I  were  deliberating  as 
to  what  was  to  be  done,  when  all  at  once  Glaus,  who  had 
hitherto  lain  like  a  dead  man,  raised  himself,  looked  around, 


THE  SKELETON.  257 

and  asked  where  he  was.  When  we  asked  him  how  we  were 
to  open  the  door,  he  slid  down  from  the  litter,  stationed  him- 
self before  the  door,  and  said:  '  I  feel  better  already,  and  would 
rather  go  into  my  own  room  alone.  I  thank  you  for  bring- 
ing me  here,  but  go  away  now,  and  take  no  more  trouble  on 
my  account.'  r' 

"And  you  did  so?"  asked  many  voices.  "You  went 
away?" 

"  Yes,"  cried  the  leech,  with  a  cunning  twinkle  in  his 
eyes,  "  we  did  go  away,  but  I — felt  so  sorry  for  the  poor  fel- 
low that  I  had  to  turn  back  to  see  how  he  was  getting  on. 
I  cautiously  crept  up  and  peeped  through  the  chinks  in  the 
front  door,  opening  upon  the  little  entry,  where  we  had  left 
Glaus.  What  did  I  see?  I  saw  Glaus  with  trembling  hands 
take  out  one  of  the  red  flagstones  with  which  the  entry  is 
paved,  and  draw  forth  a  key.  I  saw  him  creep  up  to  the  door 
with  the  key,  unlock  it,  and  then  go  in  like  a  cat,  on  all  fours. 
Hardly  had  he  gotten  in  and  I  recovered  a  little  from  my  as- 
tonishment, when  I  went  up  to  the  door  and  attempted  to 
gain  admittance.  But,  heaven  and  earth!  he  had  bolted  it 
from  the  inside,  and  I  was  forced  to  withdraw  disappointed. 
But  happily  it  occurred  to  me  that  the  Elector  had  given 
orders  that  a  doctor  should  attend  the  sick  man.  Ah,  thought 
I,  the  doctor  will  soon  come;  I  shall  wait  for  him.  I  stayed 
in  the  neighborhood,  walking  up  and  down,  but  the  doctor 
did  not  hurry  himself,  for  it  was  almost  night  before  he  came, 
accompanied  by  one  of  the  soldiers  who  had  helped  to  carry 
Glaus  on  the  litter.  I  rushed  up  to  the  door,  beating  and 
hammering  upon  it:  '  Open,  Glaus,  open!  it  is  I,  Kurt,  the 
leech! '  But  all  was  still.  The  doctor  began  to  be  impatient 
at  the  delay,  and,  stepping  up  to  the  door  himself,  rapped 
upon  it  with  his  gold-headed  cane,  and  called  out,  '  Open!  in 
the  Elector's  name,  open! '  Hardly  had  he  spoken  before  the 
door  was  unbolted,  and  Glaus  appeared  upon  the  threshold." 

"On  all  fours?"  asked  tailor  Fiirberg,  while  the  multi- 
tude stared  at  the  narrator  in  breathless  silence,  hanging  upon 
every  word  that  fell  from  his  lips. 

"No,"  gravely  replied  the  leech;  "the  beggar  Glaus  now 
stood  upright,  and  looked  quite  well  again,  only  a  little  paler 


258  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

than  usual.  The  doctor  said  that  his  Highness  the  Elector  had 
been  pleased  to  send  him  to  set  a  broken  leg  for  the  beggar 
Glaus,  and  he  was  surprised  to  find  him  apparently  well  and 
without  broken  bones.  Glaus  replied  that  it  was  so;  his  ankle 
had  been  merely  dislocated,  that  he  had  set  it  himself,  and  was 
in  no  need  of  medical  attendance.  The  doctor  growled  out  that 
he  need  not  have  been  troubled  to  leave  his  house  for  the  sake 
of  such  a  fellow,  turned  on  his  heel,  and  walked  off.  But  I 
sprang  forward,  and  telling  Glaus  that  I  only  wanted  to  see 
how  he  was  getting  along,  tried  to  push  through  the  door  into 
the  room.  But  Glaus  pushed  me  back  with  great  force,  and, 
shaking  his  fist  in  my  face,  screamed  out:  '  You  would  again 
drive  the  devil  out  of  me?  Come  on,  then!  Let  us  see  whether 
you  are  the  fellow  to  do  it! '  But  as  he  shook  his  fist  in  my 
face,  I  seemed  to  see  blue  sparks  flying,  and  such  a  smell  of 
sulphur  came  from  his  room  that  it  took  my  breath  away  and 
made  my  eyes  water.  Then  I  cried  aloud  for  horror,  prayed 
a  paternoster,  and  ran  off  as  fast  as  my  legs  would  carry  me." 

"  That  is  not  true!  "  cried  a  loud,  deep  voice.  "  You  said 
no  paternoster,  but  cursed  and  swore  in  most  ungodly  style." 

"  The  beggar  Glaus!  The  wizard!  The  conjurer! " 
shrieked  the  crowd,  drawing  back  and  leaving  a  broad  passage 
free,  in  the  midst  of  which  the  beggar  Glaus  found  himself 
quite  alone.  He  stood  leaning  upon  his  staff,  and  his  glance 
swept  over  the  multitude,  who  were  looking  at  him  with  fear 
and  horror. 

"Well,  what  is  the  matter?"  he  asked,  in  a  loud,  steady 
voice.  "  Why  do  you  glare  at  me  as  if  the  devil  were  actually 
here  in  bodily  presence?  You  stupid  people!  the  devil  has  no 
need  to  appear  visibly;  he  is  within  you  all;  you  are  dear 
children  of  his  now,  and  will  hereafter  become  his  imps  in 
hell." 

"Just  hear!  Glaus  actually  dares  to  insult  and  vilify 
honorable  citizens  like  ourselves!  "  yelled  Ewald,  the  cobbler. 
"  He  calls  us  imps  of  hell!  " 

"  He  is  one  himself!  A  sorcerer!  "  cried  shoemaker  Wendt. 
"  Otherwise,  how  could  he  possibly  be  well  to-day  after  such 
a  beating  as  we  gave  him  yesterday?  Any  Christian  man 
would  have  been  laid  up  for  four  weeks." 


TQE  SKELETON.  259 

"  Yes!  "  screamed  another,  "  he  is  a  wizard!  He  knows 
everything.  I  had  lost  my  hammer,  and  could  find  it  nowhere 
after  looking  for  it  three  whole  days.  I  accidentally  met  Glaus, 
who  stopped  before  me  and  said:  '  You  are  looking  for  your 
hammer,  master  locksmith.  Go  to  the  Willow-bank  Gate; 
you  will  find  it  on  the  bridge.'  I  went,  and,  as  sure  as  I  am 
living,  there  lay  my  hammer." 

"  Yes,  yes,  he  is  a  wizard  and  knows  everything,"  growled 
another.  "  I  lost  some  yarn  that  I  had  just  bought  at  Kb'pnik 
fair.  Says  my  wife,  '  Go  and  ask  the  beggar  Claus  where  it 
is,  for  he  knows  everything.'  Sure  enough,  I  found  it  in 
the  very  spot  he  said,  and  took  it  home.  But  the  marks 
of  the  devil's  fingers  were  upon  it.  The  yarn  was  bewitched; 
the  threads  broke  so  that  no  cloth  could  be  spun  out  of 
it." 

"  He  bewitched  it!  "  screamed  the  chorus  of  bystanders; 
"he  singed  it  with  the  touch  of  his  fiery  fingers!  He  gave 
the  yarn  back  to  you  because  he  wanted  to  gain  your  soul. 
You  could  never  weave  anything  but  a  shroud  out  of  it,  for  it 
is  unlucky  yarn,  and  you  ought  not  to  have  taken  it!  " 

"  No,  no,  never  take  anything  from  the  devil,  if  you  would 
not  belong  to  him.  And  Glaus  is  as  good  as  the  devil,  for  he 
is  a  wizard  and  conjurer,  and " 

A  fearful  crash,  a  thundering  noise  was  heard,  an  immense 
cloud  of  dust  settled  over  the  entire  square,  enveloping  every- 
thing as  it  were  in  a  dark  mantle.  The  people  answered  this 
unexpected  and  terrific  roar  with  one  shriek  of  dismay,  then 
from  the  midst  of  the  gray  mist  a  quivering  female  voice  called 
out,  "  Let  us  fall  on  our  knees  and  pray! "  and  a  hundred 
voices  responded,  "  Yes,  let  us  pray!  "  All  dropped  upon  their 
knees,  and  no  sound  was  heard  on  the  square  but  the  low 
murmuring  of  prayers,  mingled  with  the  sobs  and  groans  of 
terrified  women  pleading  with  their  God  for  mercy.  Grad- 
ually, however,  the  cloud  dispersed,  revealing  the  people  still 
upon  their  knees  and  the  beggar,  who  alone  had  not  bowed 
in  prayer,  standing  erect  in  the  open  space  in  their  midst, 
leaning  upon  his  staff  and  casting  derisive  glances  on  all 
around.  The  people  looked  at  each  other  in  amazement,  and 
from  all  sides  came  the  question:  "  What  was  that?  Did  God 


260  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

speak  to  us  in  his  thunder?  Did  he  mean  to  tell  us  that  we 
should  no  longer  suffer  this  conjurer  among  us?  " 

"  See,  you  simpletons! "  cried  Glaus,  raising  his  arm  and 
pointing  to  the  castle  with  his  staff.  "  The  old  castle  wall  has 
tumbled  down." 

And  without  deigning  to  notice  further  the  gaping,  be- 
wildered crowd,  supported  upon  his  staff,  Glaus  hobbled  across 
the  square  to  the  heap  of  rubbish,  which  was  now  all  that  was 
left  of  the  old  wing  of  the  castle.  The  inquisitive  mob  greeted 
with  laughter  and  jests  this  simple  and  natural  explanation 
of  the  terrific  event,  and,  rushing  after  the  beggar,  ran  past 
him  in  its  hurry  to  reach  the  ruins,  about  which  Memmhart 
and  his  workmen  were  employed.  The  old  wall,  which  they 
had  intended  to  remove  little  by  little,  had  suddenly  fallen 
as  soon  as  its  supports  had  been  removed,  laying  bare  a  few 
old  apartments  which  had  been  long  disused  and  prepared 
for  this  catastrophe.  The  populace,  which  had  never  beheld 
more  of  the  Electoral  castle  than  its  exterior,  eagerly  gazed 
in  upon  the  tapestried  chambers,  which  looked  ghostly  out 
of  the  dilapidated  and  broken  walls. 

All  at  once  a  voice  cried  out:  "Just  look  up  there!  Do 
you  see  that  white  figure  in  the  thick  wall?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,"  replied  many  voices — "  yes,  yes,  we  see  it. 
There,  where  there  is  a  projection  in  the  wall.  It  looks  out 
from  between  the  stones.  Yes,  it  is  a  tall  white  shape!  " 

"  The  White  Lady!  It  is  the  White  Lady! "  murmured 
the  multitude.  "  Only  see  how  the  specter  stands  there  in  the 
gray  wall!  It  is  the  White  Lady!  the  White  Lady!  " 

Seized  with  horror,  the  crowd  gazed  upward,  and  every 
face  grew  pale.  Meanwhile  the  master  builder  had  also  seen 
this  strange  form  ensconced  among  the  stones,  and,  pointing 
it  out  to  his  workmen,  consulted  with  them  as  to  the  possi- 
bility of  reaching  the  spot.  They  might  have  entered  the 
chamber  from  the  other  side  through  the  castle,  but  the  floor- 
ing had  given  way  in  part,  and  only  single  rafters  retained 
their  position,  still  held  firm  by  the  iron  braces  which  were 
fixed  in  the  walls  yet  standing.  The  safest  and  least  dangerous 
course,  then,  would  be  to  rest  a  long  ladder  against  the  outside 
wall  and  to  ascend  to  the  spot.  But  there  was  danger  that 


THE  SKELETON.  261 

the  tottering  wall  should  break  again  under  the  weight  of 
the  ladder  and  the  man  who  climbed  it.  However,  a  keen 
curiosity  to  know  the  meaning  of  this  singular  occurrence 
emboldened  one  of  the  masons  to  volunteer  his  services  for 
the  perilous  undertaking.  The  ladder  was  procured  and  cau- 
tiously propped  against  the  crumbling  wall,  so  that  the  upper 
end  just  touched  the  niche  where  the  strange  shape  was  seen. 

"  See,  see,  he  is  going  up! "  murmured  voices  among  the 
crowd,  which  kept  pushing  onward,  ever  closer,  ever  nearer 
the  ladder.  All  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  venturous  man  who 
was  now  clambering  up  the  ladder  as  nimbly  as  a  cat;  all 
other  feelings,  all  hatred,  all  malice  were  momentarily  hushed 
in  the  breasts  of  those  present.  Little  heeded  they  now  that 
the  beggar  Glaus  stood  close  before  them — almost  in  contact 
with  them.  All  was  forgot  but  the  movements  of  the  daring 
artisan.  Now  he  had  reached  the  top  of  the  ladder,  and  could 
see  whether  this  white  figure  was  a  reality  or  only  an  illusion. 

Breathless  silence  reigned  on  the  square.  It  was  broken 
by  the  stentorian  voice  of  the  mason,  calling  down:  "  It  is  a 
skeleton!  A  human  skeleton  in  white  clothes!  "  * 

A  shudder  thrilled  the  hearts  of  all  present. 

"  A  human  skeleton  in  white  clothes!  "  whispered  their 
trembling  lips;  "it  is  the  White  Lady!  Woe  to  us  all!  It  is 
the  White  Lady!  She  foretells  misery  and  death  for  us  all!  " 

Again  was  heard  the  voice  of  the  man  upon  the  ladder. 

"  I  shall  let  down  the  rope!  "  he  cried.  "  Fasten  a  basket 
to  it,  that  I  may  pack  the  skeleton  in  it  and  send  it  down." 

With  dexterity  he  drew  from  his  breast  pocket  a  strong 
rope,  which  he  had  doubtless  carried  up  wilh  that  design,  and, 
fastening  it  to  a  round  of  the  ladder,  let  it  roll  down.  Below 
a  mason  stood  ready  to  seize  the  end,  a  third  mason  rushed  for- 
ward with  a  basket,  which  was  attached  to  the  rope. 

"  Ready!  "  they  shouted  up  to  the  mason  at  the  top  of  the 
ladder,  and  he  quickly  drew  the  basket  up,  all  eyes  following 
it  with  intense  interest. 

"  Take  care!  "  screamed  up  the  master  builder.     "  Try 

*  The  discovery  of  the  skeleton  upon  the  demolishing  of  the  old  castle 
walls  is  historical,  and  the  people  maintained  that  it  was  the  skeleton  of 
the  White  Lady.  See  von  Ledebur,  Archives  of  Prussian  History. 


202  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

not  to  injure  the  figure,  but  get  it  whole  into  the  basket.  Get 
out  of  the  way,"  he  said,  turning  to  the  beggar,  who  had 
stepped  close  up  to  the  ladder.  "  Move  back,  Claus,  for  if 
anything  were  to  fall  from  above,  it  would  hit  you."  ; 

But  Claus  heard  not  the  master  builder's  warning.  He 
had  urged  his  way  to  the  very  foot  of  the  ladder,  and  stood 
there  breathless,  gazing  upward  as  if  spellbound.  The  mason 
had  pulled  up  the  basket,  and,  holding  it  firmly  with  his  left 
hand,  grasped  the  white  figure  with  his  right.  It  seemed  to 
be  quite  firmly  imbedded  in  the  wall,  for  he  could  not  im- 
mediately draw  it  forth.  He  had  first  to  break  away  a  few 
stones,  throwing  them  into  the  open  chamber.  So  still  were 
the  spectators  in  the  square  that  the  hollow  noise  made  by 
the  rolling  of  the  stones  across  the  floor  was  distinctly  heard. 
Then  he  thrust  his  arm  into  the  niche  and  triumphantly  lifted 
up  a  round  white  object. 

"  It  is  a  skull!  "  whispered  the  men  to  one  another.  "  Only 
see,  he  is  putting  it  into  the  basket!  Hush,  hush!  Do  not 
talk!  Let  us  look!  Look!  " 

Again  the  workman  inserted  his  arm  into  the  niche.  It 
came  forth  again  with  a  long  white  object,  which,  caught  by 
a  puff  of  wind,  fluttered  like  a  sail  in  the  breeze. 

"  The  shroud!  the  shroud!  "  screeched  female  voices  here 
and  there.  Then  all  was  again  silent.  They  saw  the  man 
cautiously  endeavoring  to  put  into  the  basket  the  white  gar- 
ment, which  evidently  covered  a  part  of  the  skeleton.  Now 
a  shriek  of  horror  sounded  from  all  lips.  They  had  plainly 
seen  a  long  white  bone  slip  from  the  garment  and  fall.  Terror- 
stricken,  all  started  back. 

A  second  shriek  resounded.  It  was  the  beggar  Claus  who 
uttered  it.  The  lower  part  of  the  arm,  to  which  the  hand  still 
hung,  had  struck  his  forehead  so  severe  a  blow  that  the  blood 
gushed  from  the  wound  in  streams. 

"  Claus  is  wounded! "  was  shrieked  and  howled  by  the 
mob.  "  The  arm  of  the  skeleton  has  fallen  and  struck  him! 
It  is  the  vengeance  of  God!  Even  the  dead  rise  up  in  judg- 
ment against  the  wizard  and  sorcerer,  and  stamp  his  forehead 
with  the  mark  of  Cain! " 

Smitten  with  terror  and  dismay,  all  shrank  from  the  beg- 


THE  SKELETON.  263 

gar,  who  with  bleeding  brow  had  sunk  down  beside  the  lad- 
der. Occupied  with  this  new  event,  the  people  had  even 
forgotten  to  observe  the  further  movements  of  the  mechanic 
above.  He  had  meanwhile  finished  collecting  the  bones, 
and  cried  down:  "  Look  out!  I  am  going  to  leave  the 
basket! " 

This  cry  again  diverted  the  attention  of  the  spectators, 
and  all  eyes  once  more  turned  upon  the  workman.  They  saw 
him  lift  the  basket  off  the  ladder  round  and  launch  it  into 
the  air.  They  saw  how,  carefully  holding  the  rope  with  both 
hands,  he  let  it  glide  slowly  through  his  fingers,  and  how  the 
basket  gradually  descended,  laden  with  its  ghastly  contents. 

At  the  foot  of  the  ladder  stood  Herr  Memmhart  with  two 
workmen,  ready  to  receive  the  basket,  and  to  hold  the  ladder 
during  the  man's  descent.  At  the  side  of  the  ladder,  a  little 
in  the  rear,  and  again  entirely  unobserved,  cowered  the  beggar 
on  the  ground.  Nobody  saw  the  expression  of  agony,  the 
breathless  suspense  written  upon  his  pale  features — nobody 
heard  his  low  whisper  of  "  God,  my  God!  have  mercy  upon 
me,  and  let  me  not  go  mad  before  I  know  what  this  skeleton 
signifies,  whether " 

Just  at  this  moment  the  workmen  caught  hold  of  the  now 
rapidly  descending  basket,  and  the  master  builder  looked  in. 
"  A  skeleton,"  he  said — "  a  human  skeleton,  and  that  of  a 
woman,  too,  it  seems.  For  just  see,  this  garment  has  not  the 
cut  of  a  shroud;  it  looks  like  a  woman's  dress,  and  not  as  if  it 
were  meant  for  a  corpse,  but  for  a  living  person.  And  here 
is  the  veil — only  see  this  white  veil!  It  is  in  quite  good  pres- 
ervation, and  what  fine  lace  it  is  trimmed  with! " 

He  cautiously  pulled  out  a  long  strip  of  muslin,  bordered 
with  that  heavy  Venetian  lace  known  as  guipure. 

"  Hold  it  up  higher,  Herr  Memmhart!  "  begged  the  multi- 
tude. "  Let  us  see  what  you  have  in  your  hand!  " 

The  master  builder  held  the  veil  aloft  with  both  hands, 
and  the  wind,  playing  with  its  ends,  carried  it  yet  higher.  As 
they  drooped  again,  one  edge  grazed  the  beggar's  hand,  and 
was  tinged  with  the  blood  which  flowed  from  his  wound.  He 
caught  at  the  veil  and  stared  at  it,  as  if  he  saw  inscribed  upon 
it  mysterious,  awful  characters.  Then,  rushing  toward  the 


264  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

basket,  he  sank  down  beside  it  and  strove  to  grasp  its  con- 
tents with  his  hands. 

Herr  Memmhart  thrust  him  back.  "  Let  those  things 
alone,  Glaus.  They  are  nothing  to  you,  for  the  dead  can  give 
no  alms." 

"  He  says  that  it  is  nothing  to  me,"  murmured  Glaus,  who 
still  knelt  beside  the  basket,  devouring  it  with  his  eyes.  "Could 
I  only  see  the  dress,  the  dress!  But  they  have  covered  the 
basket  with  a  cloth,  and  I  can  see  nothing  more,  nothing 
at  all! " 

Meanwhile  the  workman  had  descended  the  ladder.  The 
master  builder  stepped  up  and  offered  him  his  hand. 

"  Well,  Louis,  I  congratulate  you  on  coming  down  in  safety. 
If  the  wall  had  given  way,  you  might  have  tumbled  down  and 
broken  your  neck." 

"I  knew  very  well  that  the  wall  was  not  going  to  give 
way,"  said  the  mason,  laughing.  "  The  skeleton  would  not 
have  suffered  it,  master.  The  skeleton  held  the  wall  firm,  and 
would  not  let  it  cave  in,  for  it  meant  that  its  secret  should 
be  told.  It  had  its  murderer  to  accuse!  " 

"  You  think,  then,  that  this  is  the  skeleton  of  a  murdered 
person,  Louis?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  think  so.  Why  should  anybody  have  immured 
this  woman  in  a  wall,  instead  of  giving  her  Christian  burial. 
Without  doubt,  there  has  been  murder  here,  and  you  shall 
see  that  it  will  come  to  light,  and  that  the  victim  will  demand 
justice.  I  have  two  important  things  here.  In  the  first  place, 
examine  this  gold  ring.  It  was  on  the  forefinger  of  the  right 
hand,  which  fortunately  did  not  fall  until  I  had  gained  pos- 
session of  the  ring.  And  here  is  a  little  handkerchief  which 
was  around  the  neck.  It  was  tied  so  tightly  that  I  was  forced 
to  conclude  that  with  it  this  person  had  been  strangled.  See, 
here  it  is,  sir.  I  left  it  just  as  I  found  it  lying  under  the  skull." 

He  handed  to  the  master  builder  a  white  silk  handkerchief, 
looped  and  tied  in  a  hard  knot. 

"  This  certainly  seems  to  have  been  used  for  a  collar,  and 
the  neck  which  fitted  it  had  evidently  no  room  allowed  for 
breathing.  But  observe!  here  in  this  corner  is  some  embroid- 
ery! Here  are  letters  prettily  entwined  together." 


THE  SKELETON.  265 

"  It  is  a  name,  sir,"  said  the  mason.  "  I  believe  there  is  a 
name  in  the  ring,  too." 

Memmhart  took  the  ring  out  of  his  vest  pocket,  and  ex- 
amined it  inside.  "  Yes,  indeed,"  he  said,  "  here  are  char- 
acters— here  is  a  name.  But  it  does  not  seem  to  be  the  same 
as  the  one  on  the  handkerchief.  Ah!  now  I  see  it  clearly; 
the  name  is  *  Gabriel.' '; 

"  Gabriel!  "  shrieked  beggar  Glaus,  jumping  up — "  Ga- 
briel! She  has  called  me — she  has  pronounced  my  name!  " 

Memmhart  did  not  hear  him,  being  wholly  absorbed  in  his 
endeavors  to  decipher  the  name  on  the  handkerchief.  "  Now 
I  have  it,"  he  said  joyfully.  "  This  first  ornamented  letter  is 
an  E,  then,  yes,  then  comes  an  E.  The  third  letter  is  a  B,  it 
seems,  and  then  another  E  and " 

"  Eebecca! "  screamed  a  voice  behind  him,  and  a  quick, 
strong  hand  snatched  the  handkerchief  from  him.  "  Eebecca! 
my  Eebecca!  "  repeated  the  voice. 

"  "What  is  the  matter  with  you,  Glaus?  "  cried  the  master 
builder  angrily.  "  How  dare  you  snatch  that  handkerchief 
from  me?  Give  it  back  to  me  this  instant!  " 

"No!"  shouted  Glaus,  as  if  in  an  ecstasy  of  joy — "no, 
I  will  not  give  it  up!  It  is  mine,  for  it  belonged  to  Eebecca. 
I  gave  it  to  her;  it  was  my  first  present.  Give  me  my  ring — 
my  own  ring!  I  will  have  it  again,  for  it  comes  from  her. 
She  sends  me  her  engagement  ring  as  a  token  that  my  time 
of  probation  has  expired;  she  calls  me  to  herself  with  the 
hallowed  pledge  of  our  love.  Give  me  my  ring,  sir.  I  must 
have  it! " 

"  What  ring?  "  asked  Memmhart.  "  Are  you  mad,  Glaus? 
What  ails  you?" 

"  It  is  my  ring!  my  ring! "  screamed  the  beggar,  trem- 
bling with  excitement.  With  glowing  cheeks  and  flash- 
ing eyes  he  laid  both  hands  on  the  master  builder's  shoul- 
ders. 

"  Let  me  go,  Glaus,  or  I  shall  call  the  police  and  beadle, 
and  have  you  put  in  jail." 

"  See,  just  see,"  cried  the  people.  "  The  beggar  is  actually 
laying  hands  on  the  master  builder.  He  will  murder  him! 
Call  the  police!  the  police!  " 


266  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

A  few  of  the  multitude  officiously  undertook  the  errand, 
and  hurried  off. 

"  My  ring!  my  ring! "  shrieked  Glaus,  and,  perceiving 
that  the  master  builder  clinched  one  hand  as  if  to  hide  some- 
thing, he  seized  it  with  superhuman  strength,  and  forcibly 
possessed  himself  of  the  ring. 

"  I  have  the  ring  once  more!  my  engagement  ring! "  he 
cried  exultingly,  slipping  it  on  his  finger. 

He  again  sprang  toward  the  basket,  knelt  down  beside  it, 
convulsively  tore  off  the  cover,  and  drew  forth  the  white  gar- 
ment from  amid  the  frightful  confusion  of  bones  with  which 
it  was  filled. 

"It  is  her  dress!"  he  shrieked.  "She  wore  it  on  our 
wedding  day.  I  recognize  it.  It  was  her  bridal  dress,  and 
has  also  become  her  winding  sheet! " 

He  bowed  his  head  over  the  dress  and  pressed  his  lips 
to  it,  at  the  same  time  breaking  forth  in  such  a  wail  of  woe 
as  moved  to  compassion  even  the  cold  hearts  of  the  bystanders. 
No  one  had  the  heart  to  tear  the  beggar  away  from  that  basket 
with  its  mournful  contents,  no  one  thought  of  interrupting 
the  bitter  lament  which  poured  from  his  lips,  but  with  sus- 
pended breath  and  tearful  eyes  all  listened  to  the  beggar,  who, 
in  his  exaltation,  seemed  to  have  forgotten  that  he  was  not 
alone,  but  surrounded  by  men,  watching  him  inquisitively,  and 
listening  to  his  speech  with  attentive  ears. 

"  And  so  I  have  you  again,  my  darling! "  he  said  in  soft, 
low  tones,  embracing  the  basket  with  both  arms.  "  You  have 
descended  from  your  dreadful  tomb  to  give  me  tidings  of  your 
death,  to  tell  me  the  awful  secret  of  your  murder.  Oh,  my 
Rebecca!  must  this  be  the  end  of  our  love?  Are  these  blanched 
bones,  these  decaying  vestments,  this  telltale  handkerchief 
all  that  I  have  left  of  you?  Yes,  they  have  killed  you,  my 
Rebecca,  and  with  your  noble  life  you  have  paid  the  price  of 
your  wretched  husband's  crime.  I  alone  murdered  you;  I 
alone  am  to  blame  for  your  death.  But  I  have  done  penance, 
Rebecca;  I  have  endured  fourteen  years  of  pain  and  torture, 
and  have  not  sunk  beneath  the  load.  I  could  not  die  before 
I  had  discovered  your  grave.  Ah,  my  poor  darling!  They 
gave  you  a  narrow,  dreadful  tomb,  and  your  corpse  withered  to 


THE  SKELETON.  267 

a  skeleton  before  I  found  it.  You  would  not  call  me  hence 
until  my  soul  had  been  purified  by  passing  through  an  earthly 
purgatory.  But  now  the  hour  of  grace  has  come,  and  you  pity 
me.  Look  down  from  your  height,  my  Rebecca;  behold  a 
poor,  heart-broken  creature  groveling  in  the  dust  before  you! 
See  what  crime  and  penitence  have  made  of  me!  All  the  vani- 
ties, the  pride,  and  the  ambition  of  life  have  I  cast  from  me. 
I  have  done  penance  in  sackcloth  and  ashes;  have  become  a 
beggar  before  God  and  man;  have  voluntarily  called  down 
upon  myself  the  scorn  and  contempt  of  the  world.  I  have 
trodden  my  heart  under  foot  and  bowed  my  head  in  humility. 
Oh,  say  now  that  you  have  compassion,  that  you  summon  me 
to  meet  you.  Say  that  you  will  now  pardon  your  mur- 
derer  " 

A  hand  was  laid  heavily  upon  his  shoulder,  and  a  rough 
voice  exclaimed,  "  Glaus,  I  arrest  you  in  the  name  of  the  Elec- 
tor and  the  law! " 

It  was  the  beadle,  who,  in  obedience  to  the  people's  call, 
had  drawn  near  to  the  beggar  and  heard  the  last  part  of  his 
lament. 

The  beggar  started;  the  touch  of  this  rough  hand  had 
recalled  him  to  the  world,  and  his  spirit,  which  had  been  soar- 
ing above  the  clouds  of  this  world,  was  rudely  reminded  of 
earthly  things. 

"  What  would  you  have  of  me?  "  he  asked,  bewildered, 
looking  up  dreamily  at  the  man  in  scarlet  coat  who  stood  over 
him  and  glowered  down  upon  him.  "  Why  do  you  lay  your 
hand  upon  me?  " 

"  I  lay  my  hand  on  you  in  the  name  of  the  law,"  said  the 
man  harshly.  "  The  people  say  that  you  are  a  sorcerer,  in 
league  with  the  devil.  You  say  yourself  that  you  are  a  mur- 
derer. I  arrest  you,  therefore,  as  a  sorcerer  and  murderer, 
in  the  name  of  God  and  manf" 

"  As  a  sorcerer  and  murderer! "  repeated  the  mob  with  a 
yell  of  rage  and  horror. 

But  these  formidable  words  produced  quite  an  opposite 

effect  upon  the  beggar.    He  arose  from  his  knees  and  lifted 

up  his  head;  his  countenance,  hitherto  pale  as  death,  was 

brightened  as  with  a  ray  of  morning  sunshine,  and  his  eyes, 

18 


268  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

hitherto  dimmed  by  tears,  sparkled  with  joy  as  he  lifted  them 
to  heaven  with  a  glance  full  of  reverent  devotion. 

•'  The  ways  of  God  are  past  finding  out! "  he  cried,  with 
outstretched  arms.  "  I  recognize  thy  voice,  0  Lord  my  God, 
speaking  to  me  through  that  of  the  law.  Through  penance 
I  shall  attain  eternal  peace,  through  punishment  the  absolved 
sinner  shall  mount  up  to  the  abodes  of  the  blessed!  Rebecca, 
my  Rebecca!  you  will  receive  me,  you  have  stretched  out  your 
hand  to  me,  and  marked  my  forehead  with  the  seal  of  blood! 
Yes,  yes,  my  blood  shall  propitiate!  I  am  ready,  Rebecca,  I 
am  ready!  " 

"  Enough  now  of  talk  and  clamor! "  cried  the  beadle. 
"  Give  here  your  hands  that  I  may  bind  them,  as  is  the  custom 
with  grave  offenders,  until  chains  are  procured." 

"Here  they  are!"  cried  Glaus,  joyfully  extending  his 
hands.  "  Bind  them,  chain  them;  I  have  deserved  it  all.  For, 
you  are  right,  I  am  a  sorcerer!  I  am  a  murderer!  Do  with  me 
as  the  law  requires!  " 

"  He  confesses!  "  murmured  the  multitude.  "  He  says 
himself  that  he  is  a  sorcerer  and  a  murderer! " 

"  In  the  name  of  justice  and  the  laws  of  the  cities  of  Berlin 
and  Cologne,  I  arrest  you! "  exclaimed  the  beadle  in  a  loud 
voice. 

Thus  saying,  he  bound  the  beggar's  hands  firmly  behind 
his  back  and  then  grasped  him  by  one  arm,  while  one  of  his 
officials  took  hold  of  the  other. 

"  Let  us  go!  "  cried  Gabriel  joyfully.  "  To  prison!  To 
death!  To  immortality!  Come!  come! " 

Spiritedly  he  moved  along  between  the  beadle  and  his 
men.  His  face  was  radiant,  his  step  light  and  elastic,  and  his 
eye  turned  heavenward  glowed  with  the  fire  of  inspiration. 

The  throng  followed  him  with  loud  yells  and  wild  impre- 
cations, and  lingered  for  hours  before  the  Ochsenkopf,  the 
prison  without  the  gates,  whither  the  criminal  had  been  led. 


THE  ELECTOR  AND  THE  BURGOMASTER.  269 


VII. — THE  ELECTOR  AND  THE  BURGOMASTER. 

THOUGHTFULLY  and  sadly  the  Elector  paced  his  cabinet. 
He  had  just  received  from  Memmhart  an  exact  and  circum- 
stantial account  of  the  event  which  had  transpired  upon  the 
castle  square  a  few  hours  before.  When  Memmhart  had  told 
him  that  the  beggar  Glaus  had  been  arrested  and  thrown  into 
prison,  the  Elector  had  uttered  an  exclamation  of  surprise, 
and  bidden  the  master  builder  hurry  and  have  the  beggar 
forthwith  released  in  his  name. 

"  To  whom  shall  I  deliver  your  highness's  order?  "  Memm- 
hart had  asked,  and  his  question  had  seemed  to  set  the  Elector 
to  thinking. 

"  Go  to  Burgomaster  Wegelin,  Memmhart,"  he  had  re- 
plied after  a  pause.  "  Tell  him  all  the  particulars  of  the  mat- 
ter. Say  to  him  that  I  have  long  known  the  beggar  as  a  quiet, 
harmless  monomaniac,  and  I  will  go  security  for  him  myself. 
They  must  therefore  let  the  poor  madman  go,  and  let  him  sit 
in  his  accustomed  place  near  the  castle.  Or  stay,  better  still: 
go  to  Burgomaster  Wegelin  and  tell  him  to  come  to  me  directly, 
for  I  have  something  to  say  to  him." 

"  And  the  skeleton?  "  Memmhart  had  asked.  "  What  are 
your  highness's  commands  with  regard  to  the  skeleton?  " 

The  Elector  had  turned,  and  silently  walked  up  and  down. 
Then  he  had  retired  into  a  window  recess,  and,  with  his  back 
to  the  master  builder,  had  stood  for  a  long  while  leaning  his 
forehead  against  the  glass  panes. 

"  The  bones  must  be  immediately  deposited  in  a  coffin," 
he  had  said  after  a  long  pause,  "  and  at  nightfall  they  must, 
with  all  secrecy,  be  buried  in  a  corner  of  the  cathedral  church- 
yard." * 

Memmhart  had  departed,  and  the  Elector  now  awaited 
with  impatience  the  arrival  of  Burgomaster  Wegelin. 

"  They  are  not  to  torment  and  abuse  the  poor  man,"  he 
said  to  himself.  "  He  has  suffered  enough  already.  No,  no, 

*  "  They  actually  buried  the  skeleton  found  in  the  castle  wall  in  the 
cathedral  graveyard,  and  the  people  supposed  that  the  White  Lady  could 
no  longer  walk  in  the  castle."  (Von  Ledebur.) 


270  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER, 

they  shall  not  accuse  him.  Nothing  but  evil  could  come  of 
it.  For  if  there  was  a  trial,  Gabriel  Nietzel  would  not  keep 
silence,  but  in  the  end  make  confession  before  the  whole  world, 
including  the  crime  into  which  he  was  beguiled  by  Schwarzen- 
berg.  A  tedious  lawsuit  would  ensue,  which  would  finally  in- 
volve the  son,  Count  Adolphus  von  Schwarzenberg.  This 
would  give  umbrage  to  the  Emperor,  for  the  count  stands  high 
in  favor  at  the  imperial  court,  and  his  Majesty  has  just  raised 
the  son  of  our  former  Stadtholder  to  the  princely  dignity.  It 
would  create  immense  scandal  if  here  at  Berlin  we  should 
accuse  of  murder  the  father  of  the  new-made  Prince.  I  can 
not  and  will  not  suffer  it.  Gabriel  Nietzel  must  be  freed, 
and " 

"  Your  Electoral  Grace/'  interrupted  a  valet,  entering  the 
cabinet,  "  the  Burgomaster  of  Cologne  and  Berlin,  Herr  Wege- 
lin, is  in  the  antechamber,  and  says  that  he  was  summoned  by 
your  highness's  direction." 

"Let  him  come  in  without  delay,"  ordered  the  Elector, 
pointing  impatiently  to  the  door. 

The  valet  hurried  off,  tore  open  the  door,  and  on  the 
threshold  appeared  Burgomaster  Wegelin  in  his  official  garb 
— that  is  to  say,  in  a  long  black  gown  hanging  in  voluminous 
folds,  a  broad  white  ruff,  and  a  heavy  gold  chain  wound  about 
the  shoulders  and  breast.  With  deliberate  movement  and 
with  rigid  gravity  he  raised  his  arm,  took  off  the  tall  black 
cap  which  covered  his  head,  and  bowed. 

The  Elector  hastily  advanced  to  meet  him,  greeting,  him 
with  a  short  nod. 

"  Thank  you,  Wegelin,  for  so  quickly  obeying  my  call," 
he  said.  "  This  is  a  singular  affair.  Memmhart  reported  it  to 
you,  did  he  not?  " 

"  He  wished  to  do  so,  your  highness,"  slowly  answered  the 
burgomaster,  "but  I  was  already  acquainted  with  the  whole 
matter.  The  evidence  of  the  beadle  and  his  assistants,  as  well 
as  that  of  several  burghers  who  volunteered  as  witnesses,  had 
already  been  registered,  when  the  master  builder  Memmhart 
came.  A  case  of  high  criminal  jurisdiction  lies  before  us,  for 
the  justice  of  God  has  brought  to  light  a  most  atrocious  crimi- 
nal. The  accusation  includes  witchcraft  and  murder." 


THE  ELECTOR  AND  THE  BURGOMASTER.  271 

"  Ah,  my  dear  Wegelin !  "  exclaimed  Frederick  William, 
shrugging  his  shoulders,  "  you  are  too  intelligent  to  take  the 
poor  beggar  Glaus  for  a  sorcerer.  Surely  a  sorcerer  would  not 
lie  before  the  gates  of  our  castle  as  a  wretched  beggar,  yet 
Glaus  has  done  so  for  more  than  six  years." 

"  I  pronounce  no  judgment,"  said  the  burgomaster  ear- 
nestly. "  The  law  will  take  its  course  and  pass  sentence." 

"  But  this  is  folly  and  nonsense,"  cried  the  Elector,  impa- 
tiently. "  It  would  be  ridiculous  to  bring  such  an  accusa- 
tion against  a  poor,  crazy  beggar,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  in 
these  troublous  times  we  should  avoid  making  ourselves  ridicu- 
lous as  much  as  possible.  Eelease  beggar  Glaus,  then.  It  is 
my  will." 

On  hearing  these  proud,  imperious  words,  the  Burgomaster 
of  Berlin  quickly  threw  back  his  head,  which  he  had  hitherto 
reverentially  lowered,  and  his  eyes  met  the  Elector's  stern, 
commanding  look  with  a  glance  of  defiance. 

"  The  privileges  of  sanctuary  are  only  accorded  to  the  other 
side  of  the  castle,  and,  had  the  beggar  Glaus  been  arrested 
there,  he  might  have  sought  a  pardon  from  our  Elector,  al- 
though I  can  not  believe  his  highness  would  have  extended 
it  to  him.  But  the  beggar  Glaus  was  arrested  in  the  cathedral 
square,  which  pertains  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  municipal 
authorities — arrested,  too,  by  the  beadle  of  our  city,  and  he 
also  became  his  own  accuser.  He  is  imprisoned  in  the  Ochs- 
enkopf,  and  the  magistrates,  senators,  and  consulting  coun- 
selors of  the  cities  of  Berlin  and  Cologne  will  to-morrow  begin 
the  trial,  present  the  charges,  and  then  pronounce  sentence 
according  to  the  law  and  their  consciences." 

"  It  seems,  Burgomaster  Wegelin ! "  cried  the  Elector, 
with  flaming  eyes,  "  that  you  did  not  hear  what  7,  your  lord 
and  Elector,  said.  I  will  not  have  a  poor,  half-witted  beggar 
brought  to  trial  upon  such  an  absurd  accusation,  and  run  the 
risk  of  being  condemned  for  a  murder  which  he  could  never 
have  committed.  For  how  could  he  have  immured  a  corpse 
in  our  castle  wall  ?  " 

"  The  skeleton  is  here,"  replied  the  burgomaster  quietly. 
"  It  has  been  found  within  the  castle  walls,  and  the  knotted 
handkerchief  plainly  shows  the  deceased  to  have  been  a 


272  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

woman,  who  had  been  murdered  and  then  walled  up  in  that 
niche.  Moreover,  the  man  voluntarily  avowed  his  guilt,  and 
with  howls  and  shrieks  fell  down  beside  the  remains  with 
every  demonstration  of  remorse.  He  recognized  the  white 
dress  in  which  the  skeleton  was  wrapped,  and  with  great  readi- 
ness deciphered  the  name  engraved  on  the  handkerchief,  claim- 
ing, too,  a  ring  found  on  the  skeleton's  finger  as  having  been 
a  present  from  himself  to  this  Eebecca  before  she  was  mur- 
dered." 

"  But  I  tell  you  this  man  is  a  lunatic,  burgomaster.  I 
have  known  him  for  years,  when  he  was  not  the  poor  beggar 
Claus,  and  I  will  vouch  for  it  that  he  did  not  murder  this  per- 
son. Let  the  poor  simpleton  go,  and  do  not  make  mountains 
of  molehills." 

"  In  this  case  I  can  accept  no  security  whatever,  not  even 
were  it  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg  himself " 

"  Your  lord  and  master,  you  mean,"  suggested  the  Elector. 

"  I  stand  before  your  highness  as  the  Burgomaster  of  Ber- 
lin, and  as  such  own  no  lord  or  master  save  God  and  my  con- 
science! The  cities  of  Berlin  and  Cologne  have  their  rights, 
laws,  and  constitution.  True,  they  owe  the  Elector  reverence 
and  submission;  but  they  have  their  privileges,  which  may 
not  be  infringed  or  trampled  upon.  The  magistrate  of  Berlin 
and  Cologne  is  elected,  not  by  the  Elector,  but  by  the  citizens, 
and  at  his  installation  the  burgomaster  solemnly  swears  to 
defend  the  liberties  and  immunities  of  the  cities  against  every 
aggressor,  should  it  be  the  Sovereign  Elector  himself." 

"  You  are  at  least  gracious  enough  to  recognize  me  as  your 
Sovereign." 

"  Our  Sovereign,  yes,  but  our  mayor,  no.  In  all  things 
just  we  are  bound  to  submit  humbly  to  your  highness's  wishes. 
But  in  all  municipal  affairs  we  are  free,  and,  as  your  highness 
can  not  impose  taxes  upon  us  without  our  consent,  so  you 
durst  not  without  the  assent  of  city  and  country  diminish  our 
corporate  privileges." 

"  Dare  you  threaten  me,  your  Elector  and  master?  "  cried 
the  Elector,  pale  with  excitement  and  indignation. 

"  Stf,  I  do  not  threaten,  I  merely  speak  what  is  truth  and 
justice,  and  what  I  have  to  defend  with  my  life.  But  these 


THE  ELECTOR  AND  THE  BURGOMASTER.  273 

grievous  times  have  driven  us  to  extremities,  and  there  are 
no  longer  any  bounds  to  our  despair.  They  have  been  robbing 
and  plundering  us  for  long  years.  All  has  been  taken  from 
us  save  the  chartered  liberties  of  our  cities,  and  to  these  we 
must  hold  fast,  for  they  are  the  last  of  our  blessings.  Sir 
Elector,  I  appeal  to  you  out  of  a  full  heart,  will  you  deprive 
the  poor  wretched  burghers  of  this  town  of  their  honor  and 
rights?  Leave  us  at  least  the  sad  privilege  of  punishing  crime 
according  to  law,  and  permit  us  in  some  sorry  sort  to  keep  up 
a  feeble  show  of  power  and  consideration." 

"  You  are  right  to  say,  in  some  sorry  sort,"  said  the  Elector, 
shrugging  his  shoulders,  "  for  right  pitiable  is  it  that  you 
should  need  to  plunge  some  one  else  in  grief  and  tribulation 
because  you  yourselves  know  the '  meaning  of  misfortunes 
and  sorrows." 

"  We  do  indeed  know  their  meaning,  your  highness;  but 
our  misfortunes  are  undeserved,  and  our  sorrows  cry  out  to 
yourself  and  God  for  redress.  But  on  that  very  account  we 
would  not  let  the  guilty  criminal  go  unpunished.  This  man, 
who  charges  himself  with  murder,  and  whom  his  fellow-citi- 
zens accuse  of  sorcery  and  witchcraft — this  man  has  fallen 
under  the  interdict  of  our  town  laws,  and  no  human  power 
can  save  him  from  the  penalty  incurred,  unless,  indeed,  your 
highness  take  from  us  our  rights,  and  break  the  laws  of  our 
constitution." 

"  On  my  accession  to  the  government  I  swore  to  be  just 
and  impartial  to  all  my  subjects,  to  preserve  intact  the  im- 
munities of  the  cities  and  the  incorruptibility  of  the  courts, 
and  far  be  it  from  me  to  attempt  such  a  thing.  Take,  then, 
this  poor  unhappy  man,  try  him,  sit  in  judgment  upon  him; 
but  try  your  own  hearts  as  well,  that  they  give  no  heed  to 
falsehood,  and  take  care  lest  ye  pronounce  unrighteous  judg- 
ment, for,  I  tell  you,  your  master  the  Elector  watches  over  you 
and  your  judicial  sentences,  and  will  never  suffer  you  to  pro- 
nounce an  innocent  man  guilty,  nor  to  execute  him  in  the 
hardness  and  obduracy  of  your  hearts.  You  say  you  have  the 
right  to  try  and  punish  the  criminal  if  you  find  him  guilty. 
Very  well;  I,  too,  in  common  with  all  independent  sovereigns, 
can  exercise  my  right  of  pardoning.  I  can  mitigate  the  sever- 


274  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

ity  of  your  judge's  sentence,  and,  if  the  verdict  is  death,  re- 
fuse my  sanction." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,"  said  the  burgomaster  quietly; 
"  the  right  of  pardon  is  also  restricted  by  laws.  The  Sover- 
eign can  only  annul  and  revoke  a  verdict  when  there  have  been 
the  same  number  of  voices  for  and  against  it.  If  there  is  a 
majority  for  the  sentence  of  condemnation,  you  must  allow 
it  to  be  executed." 

"  Must  I  ?  "  asked  the  Elector  sternly.  "  Where  is  the  law 
which  enjoins  such  a  thing?  " 

"  The  law  of  usage,  most  gracious  sir,  to  which  all  your 
princely  ancestors  have  submitted." 

"  But  I  tell  you  that  I  shall  not  do  so!  "  cried  the  Elec- 
tor with  an  outburst  of  anger.  "  I  am  not  minded  longer  to 
defer  to  the  arrogance  and  usurpations  of  the  cities.  No,  I 
shall  break  your  proud  spirits,  and  make  you  feel  that  there  is 
a  higher  law  over  you  than  the  law  of  usage,  and  that  is  the 
law  of  reason.  This  law  shall  be  made  known  to  you  through 
the  mouth  of  your  Prince,  to  him  you  shall  bow  in  obedience, 
and  to  him  feel  subject  despite  your  privileges  and  immuni- 
ties. You  shall  make  no  exception,  but  be  taught  that  you 
do  not  stand  at  your  Sovereign's  side,  but  behind  him,  and 
that  his  will  is  the  first  law  of  the  land!  Go  now,  Burgomaster 
Wegelin,  take  the  poor  beggar  and  sentence  him  in  the  blood- 
thirstiness  of  your  justice;  but  be  assured  that  I  shall  call 
you  to  account  for  it,  and  that  neither  majority  nor  minority 
shall  prevent  me  from  exercising  the  right  of  pardoning,  that 
highest  prerogative  of  the  ruler." 

"  May  your  highness  exercise  it  if  it  is  in  accordance  with 
the  dictates  of  your  princely  conscience,"  said  Burgomaster 
Wegelin  solemnly.  "  Grace  is  naturally  the  most  sacred  func- 
tion of  princes,  but  so  many  years  of  pain  have  elapsed  since 
it  has  been  extended  to  the  miserable  downtrodden  people 
that  we  have  forgotten  to  appeal  to  it,  or  to  hope  for  its  dis- 
play. But  your  highness  would  now  pardon  the  beggar  Glaus 
in  case  we  condemn  him.  There  is  one  contingency  which 
would  render  your  clemency  of  no  avail." 

"What  contingency,  Burgomaster  Wegelin?" 

"  Why,  supposing  that  the  criminal  refuses  to  accept  your 


THE  ELECTOR  AND  THE  BURGOMASTER.  275 

pardon,  and  insists  that  his  sentence  be  executed.  The  beggar 
Glaus  has  confessed  his  crime.  I  had  him  brought  before 
me,  and  out  of  his  own  mouth  heard  an  acknowledgment  of 
his  guilt.  He  seems  glad  to  have  relieved  his  soul  of  the  bur- 
den, and  said  passionately  to  me,  *  I  long  for  nothing  upon 
earth  but  death,  and  that  you  must  grant  me,  for  I  am  a  hein- 
ous malefactor,  having  a  murderous  deed  upon  my  conscience, 
and  you  must  punish  me  according  to  the  strict  letter  of  the 
law.' " 

"Poor,  unhappy  man!"  murmured  the  Elector,  "he  is 
lost,  for  he  seeks  death!  Go,  burgomaster,"  he  said  aloud, 
turning  toward  him;  "  act  with  the  remembrance  that  you 
will  one  day  stand  yourself  before  the  judgment  seat  of  God. 
I  shall  do  the  same,  and  you  must  hereafter  be  forced  to  admit 
that  your  Elector  is  master  of  the  cities  as  well  as  of  the  States. 
Go  and  sit  in  judgment  upon  the  beggar  Glaus  and  guard  the 
immunities  of  your  town.  Mine  be  it  to  guard  the  strongholds 
of  reason  and  mercy!  Go!  " 

He  nodded  lightly,  turned  his  back  upon  the  burgomaster, 
and  entered  the  window  recess.  Not  until  the  shutting  of  the 
door  informed  him  that  Wegelin  had  left  the  room  did  he 
emerge  from  his  place  of  retreat. 

"  Is  it  not  a  sin  and  a  shame  to  be  obliged  to  let  them  try 
poor  Gabriel  Nietzel  as  a  sorcerer  and  murderer,  when  I  know 
that  he  is  innocent?  And  yet,"  continued  the  Elector,  after 
short  reflection,  "  how  wonderful  are  the  ways  of  God,  and 
often  how  strangely  linked  is  retribution  to  crime!  He  once 
essayed  to  commit  a  murder  for  which  his  wife  atoned.  She 
saved  me,  and  for  this  was  punished  with  the  loss  of  her  own 
life  by  the  instigator  of  the  murder.  And  now,  after  the 
lapse  of  long  years,  this  poor,  murdered  woman  comes  forth 
from  her  dark  and  secret  tomb,  and  he  for  whom  she  died  is 
now  accused  as  her  murderer!  And  vengeance  pursues  me  for 
the  crimes  of  silence  and  want  of  courage.  At  the  time  I 
should  have  named  and  prosecuted  the  true  murderer,  but  I 
had  not  the  needed  courage,  and  therefore  kept  silent.  And 
now  I  would  again  be  silent,  and  perchance  the  poor  desper- 
ate man  may  be  condemned.  Wegelin  is  right,  alas!  Mercy 
itself  is  restricted  by  laws.  How  shall  I  save  Gabriel  Nietzel 


276  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

if  he  will  not  be  saved?  My  God,  my  God!  how  small  and 
insignificant  are  we  princes  of  earth,  and  how  well  it  befits 
us  to  remember  in  humility  and  contrition  that  we  are  but  clay 
in  the  hands  of  God!  " 

And  with  an  expression  of  deepest  devotion,  Frederick 
William  folded  his  hands  and  raised  his  eyes  to  heaven. 


VIII.— THE  TEMPTER. 

THE  Elector  had  seated  himself  at  work  before  his  writing 
table.  He  again  took  up  the  legal  document  which  he  had 
begun  to  read  before  Memmhart's  entrance,  but  his  thoughts 
kept  wandering,  and  a  strange  feeling  of  restlessness  came 
over  him. 

"  I  do  not  know  how  it  is,"  he  said,  "  but  I  feel  as  if  I 
were  dreaming.  There  is  something  in  the  atmosphere  which 
reminds  me  of  the  past,  of  those  long-vanished  days,  that  I 
am  ever  seeking  to  forget.  What  is  it?  Whence  comes  it? 
It  seems  to  me  as  if  the  air  I  breathe  were  filled  with  memories 
of  earlier  days,  and " 

"What  letter  is  this?"  he  interposed,  with  hasty  move- 
ment picking  up  a  daintily  folded  letter  which  lay  on  the 
table  beside  the  deed.  "  Good  heavens!  "  he  murmured  softly, 
"  I  feel  it.  The  recollections  which  haunt  me  arise  from  this 
paper;  this  paper  is  scented  with  the  same  perfume  which 
she  loved,  which  ever  made  known  to  me  her  proximity.  Yes, 
yes,  that  is  it.  This  paper  has  the  odor  of  mignonette,  and 
that  was  the  perfume  she  always  wore.  0  Ludovicka,  Ludo- 
vicka!  shall  I  then  never  forget  you?  Will  memories  of  you 
never  be  obliterated  from  my  soul?  Hush,  hush!  I  will  read 
this  letter!  But  from  whom  does  it  come,  and  who  laid  it  here, 

and "  He  uttered  a  low  cry  and  sprang  from  his  seat,  his 

eyes  immovably  fixed  upon  the  letter,  which  he  still  held  in 
his  hand. 

He  had  only  read  the  address,  but  these  few  words  had 
kindled  glowing  flames  in  his  breast.  He  had  recognized  the 


THE  TEMPTER.  277 

handwriting,  and  his  stormily  beating  heart  told  him  from 
whom  the  letter  came.  Slowly  and  with  trembling  hands  he 
now  unfolded  it  and  gazed  upon  it.  The  characters  swam 
before  his  eyes,  a  cold  perspiration  stood  in  great  drops  upon 
his  brow,  and  his  heart  beat  so  loudly  that  it  oppressed 
him.  By  force  of  will  he  at  last  roused  himself  from  this 
stupor.  "  I  will  read,"  he  said,  "  I  will  look  the  past  courage- 
ously in  the  face."  He  wiped  the  moisture  from  his  brow 
and  his  burning  eyes,  struggled  for  breath,  sighed  deeply,  and 
read: 

"FREDEBICK  WILLIAM:  I  appeal  to  you  by  the  memory 
of  days  of  the  sweetest  and  most  sacred  emotion!  You,  whom 
my  soul  has  ever  loved — you,  who  will  live  forever  in  my 
heart!  Frederick  William,  like  a  dying  person  taking  fare- 
well of  the  fairest  and  dearest  mementos  of  her  mortal  life, 
before  descending  into  the  grave,  so  I  come  to  you!  Can  you 
have  the  heart  to  reject  me?  Frederick  William,  by  the  vows 
of  eternal  love  and  constancy  which  you  once  made  to  me, 
I  adjure  you  come  to  me!  I  have  journeyed  hundreds  of  miles 
to  see  you;  come  you  only  a  hundred  paces  to  see  me!  Only 
a  hundred  paces!  This  evening  at  twilight  open  your  cabinet 
door,  and  you  will  there  find  some  one  who  will  conduct  you 
to  me.  It  is  your  most  faithful  servant,  and  you  will  be  as- 
sured that  by  him  you  can  only  be  led  in  safe  and  pleasant 
ways.  Come,  Frederick  William,  come  to  a  last  interview  pre- 
paratory to  an  eternal  adieu." 

How  often  he  read  this  letter  he  knew  not,  nor  how  long 
he  held  it  before  his  eyes  gazing  upon  the  prettily  formed 
letters,  fancy  bringing  up  vividly  before  him  the  delicate  little 
hand  which  had  traced  them  and  the  big  flaming  eyes  which 
had  rested  upon  this  paper.  The  fascination  of  her  presence 
seemed  to  be  so  recalled  by  each  of  her  words  that  he  no  longer 
knew  whether  they  were  actually  on  the  page  before  him,  or 
were  being  whispered  into  his  ear  by  a  sweet,  alluring  voice. 
Yes,  he  heard  that  voice,  and  it  filled  his  heart  with  a  sweet 
trembling  and  fired  his  soul  with  its  magical  intonations. 

She  had  called  him  "  by  the  memory  of  days  of  the  sweet- 


278  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

est  and  most  sacred  emotion,"  and  those  days  now  reappeared 
before  him  in  all  their  glory. 

Again  he  saw  her  as  she  had  been  then,  so  pretty,  so  fas- 
cinating, and  he  said  to  himself  that  it  was  he  who  had  for- 
saken her  and  given  her  up.  He  thought  of  her  tears,  her 
grief;  he  thought  also  of  what  he  had  suffered  for  her,  and 
how  he  had  loved  her  in  spite  of  having  been  forced  to  re- 
nounce her.  How  often  had  he  seen  her  in  his  dreams,  how 
often  had  he  remembered  her  with  painful  longings!  And 
now  he  was  to  see  her  again,  to  behold  once  more  her  beautiful 
face.  "  Ha!  what  is  this?  "  he  exclaimed  suddenly,  inter- 
rupting the  course  of  his  own  thoughts.  "  What  means  this 
throbbing  of  the  heart,  this  timidity?  What  mean  you,  Fred- 
erick William,  by  sitting  here  dreaming,  like  the  enamored 
boy  you  were  when  you  used  to  love  the  charming  Princess? 
Have  you  not  become  a  man  since  then,  Frederick  William? 
— have  not  the  experiences  and  disenchantments  forced  upon 
you  most  especially  by  her  steeled  your  breast  and  panoplied 
your  heart?  Have  you  not  at  your  side  a  charming  wife,  who 
loves  you  and  whom  you  love;  to  whom,  moreover,  you  have 
pledged  your  troth?  Why  sit  you  here,  Frederick  William, 
listening  to  the  siren  voice  of  memory?  Away  with  her  en- 
chantments! I  will  not  hear.  I  will  not  allow  myself  to  be 
deluded  and  become  forgetful  of  my  duties  and  my  vows." 

His  countenance  was  fired  by  a  glow  of  noble  indignation, 
and  impatiently  he  shook  his  head. 

"Up,  Frederick  William,  and  be  a  man!"  he  cried. 
"  Open  your  eyes  and  look!  Away  with  those  clouds  of  melan- 
choly which  would  darken  your  intellect — away  with  those 
images  of  the  past  which  would  enthrall  your  heart.  I  will 
awake,  I  will  see,  I  will  be  a  strong,  a  brave,  a  conscientious 
man! " 

As  he  thus  spoke  loudly  and  joyfully,  his  countenance 
brightened  more  and  more,  until  it  grew  radiant  with  energy 
and  glad  resolve.  He  drew  a  deep  breath,  as  if  a  weight 
had  been  rolled  away  from  his  soul,  and  a  smile  played  about 
his  lips  as  he  again  took  up  the  letter  which  had  a  little 
while  ago  filled  his  heart  with  so  strange  a  tumult  of  emo- 
tions. 


THE  TEMPTER.  279 

"  She  is  a  Circe,"  lie  said  softly,  "  and  she  would  allure 
the  Ulysses  Frederick  William.  Ah!  but  she  shall  not  suc- 
ceed, and  my  pretty  Penelope  shall  not  be  left  to  weep  and 
mourn.  But  what  seeks  the  Circe  here?  Wherefore  would 
she  entice  me?  To  what  end  this  tale  of  the  dying  friend  who 
comes  to  bid  me  farewell — this  tale  of  eternal,  inextinguish- 
able love?  She  has  a  reason  for  it,  without  doubt,  a  cogent 
reason:  and  I  shall  and  must  fathom  it.  Would  she  not  per- 
haps bind  me  to  France  with  soft  chains  of  roses,  and  make 
me  King  Louis's  vassal?  Why  should  she  not  try  that  experi- 
ment once  more,  when  it  might  advantage  the  King  of  France 
to  have  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg  for  his  ally,  and  the  oppo- 
nent of  the  Emperor  and  Lorraine?  Yes,  a  right  fine  thing 
would  it  be  for  the  brave  Conde*  to  obtain  auxiliaries  from 
me.  Lorraine  could  then  be  attacked  in  front  and  rear,  and 
overwhelmed.  The  King  of  France  would  thereby  make  the 
comfortable  acquisition  of  Lorraine  and  Alsatia,  and  I — well, 
I  would  obtain  many  promises  and  praises,  perhaps  subsidies 

also,  as  so  many  other  German  princes,  and Moreover,  I 

would  wear  upon  my  forehead  the  brand  of  infamy  and  trea- 
son. No,  no,  it  shall  not  be.  Never  shall  history  record  of 
me  that  I  was  a  traitor  to  Germany!  I  must  penetrate  the 
motive  which  leads  the  fair  enchantress  hither.  She  comes 
wearing  a  mask  before  her  face,  and  time  will  show  which  of 
us  two  will  outwit  the  other!  Ah!  the  fair  Princess  Ludo- 
vicka  Hollandine  came  a  hundred  miles  to  see  me — how  could 
I  refuse  to  take  a  hundred  steps  to  meet  her?  No,  no,  it  would 
be  cruel — heartless!  I  can  not,  I  may  not  be  deaf  to  her  ap- 
peal! I  must  comply  with  her  request!  " 

Twilight  had  come.  The  shadows  of  evening  were  fall- 
ing. The  Elector  left  his  cabinet,  passed  quickly  through 
the  lighted  sitting  room,  and  opened  the  antechamber  door. 

"  Come  in,"  he  said  to  the  muffled  figure  standing  beside 
the  door.  Silently  the  order  was  obeyed;  the  man  entered 
and  locked  the  door  behind  him. 

"  I  thought  it  was  you,  Burgsdorf ,"  said  the  Elector,  greet- 
ing him  with  a  smile. 

"  Your  highness,  I  crave  your  pardon  for  this  boldness!  " 
cried  Burgsdorf. 


280  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  Hush!  "  interrupted  the  Elector,  "  do  not  speak  so  loud. 
We  might  be  overheard." 

"  Ah!  "  thought  Burgsdorf,  "  he  would  not  have  our  con- 
versation overheard!  The  fish  has  caught  at  the  bait,  then! 
He  has  betrayed  nothing  to  his  wife. — Most  gracious  sir,"  he 
said  in  an  undertone,  "  for  God's  sake,  tell  me  whether  I  am 
awake  or  asleep — whether  this  is  all  a  dream  or  do  I  actually 
live  to  see  it?  " 

"  Tell  me,  first  of  all,  what  you  have  lived  to  see." 

"  An  adventure,  your  highness — a  remarkable  adventure. 
Condescend  to  hear  what  has  happened." 

He  gave  the  Elector  a  detailed  and  exact  account  of  the 
arrival  of  the  stranger,  who  had  quartered  herself  at  his  house 
in  the  character  of  his  daughter.  He  only  omitted  to  tell  the 
principal  thing — namely,  the  object  of  her  coming.  His 
portraiture  of  the  unknown,  too,  did  not  quite  correspond 
with  the  reality,  for  he  very  adroitly  concealed  her  haughti- 
ness and  free-and-easy  manners,  making  of  her  an  Aspasia 
or  a  Magdalen. 

Frederick  William  had  hearkened  with  close  attention. 
"  And  she  did  not  tell  you  her  name?  "  he  asked,  when  Burgs- 
dorf  had  finished  his  well-spun  narrative. 

"  No,  your  highness,  she  said  no  one  in  Berlin  should 
know  her  name  save  yourself.  With  all  others  she  would 
pass  for  Madame  von  Kanitz." 

The  Elector  was  so  absorbed  in  thought  that  he  did  not 
observe  the  quick,  cunning  look  with  which  Burgsdorf  scanned 
his  countenance,  as  if  to  read  there  what  was  passing  within. 

"  If  he  says  now  that  his  wife  must  also  know  the  name," 
thought  Burgsdorf,  "  then  are  we  lost,  and  all  has  been  in 
vain." 

But  the  Elector  said  no  such  thing.  He  stepped  to  the 
window  and  looked  out  upon  the  cathedral  square. 

"  It  is  already  dark,"  he  said. 

"  Yes,  your  highness,"  replied  Burgsdorf  in  a  low  tone. 
"  It  has  been  dark  already  some  time,  and  the  lady  has  been 
expecting  the  Elector  for  at  least  an  hour. 

"  Is  she  at  your  house  ?  " 

"  Yes,  gracious  sir,  I  have  the  key  to  the  garden  gate  with 


THE  TEMPTER.  281 

me,  and  your  highness  will  meet  no  one  at  all  on  your  way  to 
visit  the  strange  lady.  She  bade  me  use  every  precaution  to 
prevent  your  highness  from  being  observed.  She  says  as  far 
as  she  is  concerned  it  matters  not,  but  she  would  not  for  any- 
thing in  the  world  have  your  highness  compromised  on  her 
account." 

"  She  would  appear  kind  and  considerate,"  thought  the 
Elector.  "  I  am  to  believe  that  she  would  grieve  to  injure 
another.  Come,  Burgsdorf,"  he  said,  "  let  us  go." 

"  I  have  brought  your  highness  a  cloak,"  whispered  Burgs- 
dorf, "  else  somebody  might  recognize  us." 

He  took  the  cloak,  which  he  had  deposited  near  the  door, 
and  wrapped  it  around  the  Elector;  then  drew  from  his  pocket 
a  simple  cloth  cap,  and  with  it  covered  the  brown  locks  of 
his  master. 

"  Now,  if  such  are  your  highness's  orders,  we  can  go,"  he 
said. 

"  Let  us  go  through  the  small  passage  which  leads  from 
my  dressing  room  to  the  private  staircase.  But  before  we  go 
I  have  one  word  to  say  to  you,  old  friend.  You  are  not  to 
think  unworthily  of  your  lord  and  Elector;  therefore  I  tell 
you  that  this  lady  whom  we  are  now  going  to  see  has  no  claims 
upon  me  of  any  kind,  nor  have  I  ever  stood  in  any  relation 
to  her  which  would  not  bear  exposure  to  the  light  of  the 
world  and  the  eye  of  my  Maker." 

"Your  highness,"  said  Burgsdorf,  with  deep  seriousness, 
"  one  need  only  once  look  upon  this  noble,  royal  lady  to  know 
that  it  would  be  impossible  to  suspect  her  of  aught  improper, 
and  when  one,  moreover,  has  the  good  fortune  to  know  your 
highness  and  the  spotless  purity  of  your  life,  what  room  is 
left  for  light  and  frivolous  comment?  I  have  taken  good  care 
not  to  trouble  my  thick  skull  with  suppositions  as  to  what 
this  lady  can  have  to  say  to  your  highness.  What  could  I 
gain  by  it?  I  never  could  understand  such  delicate  matters, 
and  might  just  as  well  dismiss  all  care  on  the  subject.  I  serve 
my  master  like  a  faithful  dog,  following  his  steps,  and  per- 
fectly content  if  he  only  gives  me  his  orders  by  a  wink  of  the 
eye." 

The  Elector  laid  his  hand  on  Burgsdorf's  shoulder,  nod- 


282  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

ding  to  him  with  a  friendly  smile.  "  I  know  that  you  love 
me,  old  friend,"  he  said;  "  you  know,  too,  that  I  return  your 
affection,  for  this  is  not  the  first  time  that  I  have  addressed 
you  as  Father  Burgsdorf ." 

"And  God  knows,  your  highness!"  cried  Burgsdorf,  his 
voice  choked  with  tears — "  God  knows  that  in  the  silent 
depths  of  my  heart  I  call  you  my  beloved,  my  revered  son." 

"  Come  then,  let  us  softly  descend  the  private  stairway 
— right  softly,  so  that  no  one  may  hear  our  steps.  And  hark! 
one  thing  more.  You  are  an  old  tattler,  but  little  used  to 
keeping  secrets.  This  time  hold  your  tongue,  that " 

"  Sir,"  interposed  Burgsdorf  indignantly,  "  I  would  tear 
out  my  tongue  before  it  should  dare  to  betray  one  word  of 
this  affair." 

"Very  good.  I  believe  you.  Forward  now.  To  your 
house!  Come! " 


IX. — MEETING  AGAIN. 

WITH  a  trembling  heart,  pale  from  excitement  and  sus- 
pense, Ludovicka  Hollandine  tarried  in  her  chamber.  A 
long,  tedious  hour  had  elapsed  since  Burgsdorf  had  left  her 
to  fetch  the  Elector.  What  if  he  had  gone  in  vain?  What 
if  the  Elector  should  not  come?  What  if  the  present  should 
have  greater  influence  over  him  than  the  past?  At  this 
thought  a  pain  darted  through  her  heart,  as  if  it  had  been 
pierced  by  a  dagger.  "  My  God!  my  God!  "  she  murmured 
softly,  "  I  am  afraid  that  I  love  him  still,  and  that  the  sport 
will  at  last  end  in  grave,  solemn  earnest.  I — I  hear  steps," 
she  whispered,  springing  from  her  seat.  "  Yes,  yes,  they 
come  nearer  and  nearer.  Be  with  me  now,  spirit  of  love,  irradi- 
ate my  countenance,  animate  my  heart! 

"  He  is  here.  He  comes  to  me! "  exulted  she  aloud,  as 
the  door  opened  and  the  Elector  entered.  She  hastened  to 
meet  him  with  outstretched  arms,  then  paused  hesitatingly, 
cast  one  long,  glowing  glance  into  his  pale  and  agitated  face, 
and  then  with  a  low  cry  of  pain  clasped  both  hands  before 


MEETING  AGAIN.  283 

her  face,  and  tottered  backward,  trembling  like  a  lily  bend- 
ing before  the  storm. 

The  Elector  sprang  forward  and  caught  the  sinking  form 
in  his  arms,  pressing  her  to  his  heart,  overpowered  by  his  own 
feelings,  carried  away  by  the  sweet  recollections  which  rushed 
upon  him.  But  this  only  lasted  one  short  minute,  for  Fred- 
erick William  had  a  consciousness  of  the  danger  which  hovered 
over  him,  and  his  brave  heart  whispered:  "  Do  not  allow  your- 
self to  be  deceived — be  strong,  be  a  man!  Eemember,  she  is 
a  Circe.  Eesist  her,  but  let  not  the  mask  fall  from  your  own 
face." 

Silently  and  languidly  she  rested  her  head  against  his 
breast,  and  he  bent  forward  and  kissed  her  raven-black  hair. 

"  Rest  there,  poor  frightened  dove,"  he  said  softly  and 
with  quivering  voice.  "  The  storms  of  life  have  parted  us,  and 
now  for  one  short  moment  have  brought  us  together.  Let 
us  enjoy  the  boon,  and  thank  God  for  having  granted  it." 

She  only  answered  by  a  sob  and  floods  of  tears. 

"  Ludovicka,"  he  said — "  sweet  Ludovicka,  weep  not. 
Welcome,  thrice  welcome,  idol  of  my  youth!  " 

"  Blessed  be  the  hour  of  reunion!  "  cried  she,  deeply 
moved.  She  lifted  her  head  from  his  breast  and  looked  at  him 
with  her  large  beaming  eyes,  and  the  fascinating  smile  played 
as  of  old  around  her  cherry  lips.  The  magic  of  her  influence 
again  made  itself  felt  as  in  earlier  days,  and  his  whole  heart 
swelled  with  admiration  and  rapture.  But  again  he  con- 
trolled himself  by  the  force  of  his  will. 

"  Be  a  man,  Frederick  William!  Do  not  allow  yourself 
to  be  deceived  and  ensnared.  Place  a  guard  before  the  door 
of  your  lips  and  your  heart!  " 

"  Look  at  me,  Frederick,"  she  whispered.  "  Behold  the 
ravages  of  these  dreadful  years!  Read  the  story  of  their  pains 
and  disappointments  in  the  lines  which  they  have  drawn  upon 
my  face." 

"No,"  said  he  smiling,  "they  have  not  been  so  cruel. 
They  have  not  dared  to  touch  that  open  brow,  those  rosy 
cheeks.  Not  a  shadow  has  dimmed  their  beauty." 

"  But  the  shadow  lies  on  my  soul  and  my  heart! "  cried 

she  bitterly.    "No,  do  not  look  at  me  so  kindly,  Frederick, 
39 


284  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

for  beneath  those  looks  my  strength  and  my  steadfastness 
waver,  and  the  ice  in  which  my  heart  is  incrusted  melts  before 
your  smile.  I  have  come  to  bid  you  a  last  farewell." 

"Farewell?"  asked  he.  "And  whither  would  you  go, 
Ludovicka  Hollandine?  " 

"What  said  the  gladiators  as  they  entered  the  arena  and 
bowed  before  their  masters?  They  said, '  Those  who  are  about 
to  die  greet  thee.'  That  was  their  farewell,  and  nobody  asked 
them  whither  they  were  going,  for  everybody  knew  that  for 
them  there  was  only  one  path,  and  that  led  but  to  the  tomb. 
Like  those  gladiators,  Frederick  William,  I  have  fought  with 
lions  and  tigers,  and  have  come  forth  from  the  conflict  with 
torn  and  bleeding  heart  and  a  soul  weary  unto  death.  My 
spirit  is  broken,  and,  renouncing  all  the  vanities  of  earth, 
I  would  flee  to  God,  to  serve  him  in  a  solitary  cell  as  in  an 
open  sepulcher." 

A  shadow  passed  over  Frederick  William's  face,  and  he 
remarked  more  coldly: 

"  True,  they  told  me  that  the  Princess  Ludovicka  Hol- 
landine had  fled  from  her  mother's  house  with  a  French  noble- 
man, never  to  return  there.  They  told  me,  moreover,  that 
the  Princess  had  proved  false  to  the  faith  of  her  house,  and 
forsaken  her  religion,  as  she  had  done  the  paternal  roof." 

"  And  they  told  you  the  truth!  "  she  cried  in  bitter  tones. 
"  Yes,  I  am  a  castaway,  an  apostate.  I  bow  my  head  in  hu- 
mility and  shame,  acknowledging  my  guilt.  I  am  come,  Fred- 
erick William,  to  do  penance  before  you,  and  to  lay  bare  my 
heart  to  you.  You  must  receive  my  confession:  '  She  who  is 
about  to  die  greets  you.'  Oh,  turn  not  your  head  away  from  me, 
Frederick;  behold  me  at  your  feet,  a  penitent  torn  with 
grief! " 

"  Good  heavens,  Princess,  what  are  you  doing?  "  he  cried, 
as  she  sank  upon  her  knees  before  him,  and  imploringly  lifted 
up  to  him  her  folded  hands.  "  Rise,  Ludovicka,  for  it  becomes 
you  not  to  kneel  before  me." 

"  I  would  confess  on  my  knees,"  she  said,  "  to  God  and  to 
you,  my  first,  my  only  love.  Indeed,  Frederick,  you  were 
my  first,  my  only  love,  and  when,  despite  my  tears,  my  en- 
treaties, you  thrust  me  from  you,  I  was  lost!  It  seemed  to 


MEETING  AGAIN.  285 

me  as  if  nothing  were  true  or  sacred  upon  earth,  when  the  only 
man  I  loved  had  the  cruel  determination  to  turn  from  me 
and  give  me  up!  A  wild  despair  took  possession  of  me;  I 
could  no  longer  abide  in  the  house  where  everything  reminded 
me  of  you  and  my  ruined  affections.  I  must  away,  away,  out 
into  the  world,  to  bury  myself  and  my  memories  in  the  lone- 
liness of  a  foreign  land.  I  fled,  and  the  only  friend  who  re- 
mained to  me,  Count  d'Entragues,  took  pity  upon  me.  He 
conducted  me  to  the  house  of  his  sister,  the  noble,  virtuous 
Princess  F^pioles,  and  in  a  secluded  castle  among  the  Cevennes 
I  passed  long,  solitary  years  of  mourning  and  penance.  I 
know  the  cruel,  pitiless  world  interpreted  my  flight  differ- 
ently. Count  d'Entragues  was  supposed  to  be  my  lover,  and 
it  was  said  that  out  of  love  for  him  I  had  followed  him  to 
France!  But  ask  your  own  heart,  Frederick;  do  you  believe 
that,  with  your  kisses  yet  warm  upon  my  cheek,  your  vows  of 
love  still  ringing  in  my  ears,  I  could  have  loved  another? 
No,  you  can  not  think  so  badly  of  one  whom  you  once  loved. 
You  know  that  in  the  ectasy  of  my  grief  I  fled  from  reflec- 
tion, from  my  love  of  you — that  love  which  you  had  so  ruth- 
lessly trampled  in  the  dust.  And  yet  I  could  not  be  angry 
with  you,  and  my  love  went  with  me  into  that  land  of  strangers. 
I  tried  to  break  loose  from  it;  I  longed  to  forget — oh,  to 
forget  at  any  price!  I  sought  to  drown  the  voice  which  was 
forever  speaking  to  my  heart  of  the  past;  I  resolved  to  take 
refuge  in  religion  since  you  had  deserted  me.  I  would  make 
Christ  the  bridegroom  of  my  soul,  and  give  him  the  love  that 
you  had  despised!  I  became  a  Catholic.  And  now  it  seemed 
as  if  peace  were  about  to  return  to  me,  and  as  if  my  heart 
found  repose  amid  the  tears  and  prayers  of  anguish  which 
I  perpetually  uplifted  to  my  heavenly  bridegroom.  Alas! 
if  they  had  allowed  me  then  to  take  the  veil,  perhaps  my  griev- 
ous wound  might  have  healed,  and  my  heart  become  patient 
and  subdued.  But  my  mother  and  my  relatives  would  not 
suffer  it.  My  uncle,  King  Charles  of  England,  had  written 
with  his  own  hand  to  his  Holiness  at  Eome  and  to  the  King 
of  France,  beseeching  them  to  forbid  my  admission  into  a 
convent.  Consequently,  all  monasteries  shut  their  gates 
against  me,  and  once  more  I  was  thrust  out  into  the  cold, 


286  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

heartless  world.  Now  came  over  me  a  spirit  of  wild  despair 
and  raging  resentment.  I  had  sought  forgctfulness  in  sacred 
retirement,  and  that  being  denied  me,  I  sought  it  in  the  bustle 
of  the  world,  in  the  tumult  of  life.  Since  I  could  not  be  a 
pious,  melancholy  nun,  I  became  a  gay,  haughty  woman  of  the 
world,  laughed  at  my  own  grief,  and  mocked  my  own  heart, 
that  still  wept  over  its  lost  happiness.  I  would  give  the 
death-stroke  to  love  by  kindling  a  new  flame.  In  vain!  All 
in  vain!  I  decked  my  head  with  roses,  but  only  felt  their 
thorns;  I  put  the  golden  goblet  of  joy  to  my  lips,  but  the 
sparkling  wine  tasted  but  of  the  drops  of  bitterness  lurking 
beneath  the  surface.  I  rushed  into  scenes  of  gayety  and 
amusement,  and  still  experienced  nought  but  an  infinite 
ennui,  a  sickening  weariness,  which  forced  tears  to  my  eyes 
while  I  seemed  to  smile,  and  filled  my  heart  with  woe  while 
my  lips  spoke  words  of  merriment." 

"  Poor  Ludovicka! "  whispered  the  Elector.  "  Poor, 
much-to-be-pitied  woman!  I  weep  over  you  as  Jeremiah 
wept  over  the  ruins  of  Jerusalem! "  And  he  drew  his  hand 
across  his  eyes  to  repress  the  gushing  tears. 

"  Ah!  "  cried  she  sadly,  "  you  pity  me,  you  weep  over  me! 
Frederick,  these  tears  comfort  me  for  all  the  tortures  I  have 
endured,  indemnify  me  for  all  my  sufferings.  I  thank  you 
for  those  tears;  they  shall  be  the  diamonds  whose  brightness 
will  shine  for  me  in  my  lonely  cell,  the  only  jewels  of  memory. 
For  there  is  nothing  now  to  prevent  my  entering  a  convent. 
My  uncle,  King  Charles,  is  no  more,  and  Cardinal  Mazarin 
rules  over  France.  From  him  I  have  obtained  permission 
to  take  the  veil,  and  upon  his  intercession  Queen  Anne  con- 
sented to  appoint  me  prioress  of  an  abbey.  Before  cleaving 
asunder  all  ties  that  bound  me  to  the  outer  world,  I  longed  to 
see  once  more  the  beloved  of  my  youth.  To  you  alone  of  all  the 
world  would  I  bid  farewell.  And  so  I  have  come  to  you,  Fred- 
erick, and  kneeling  at  your  feet  have  made  confession  of  all 
my  past  wanderings.  And  now  extend  to  me  your  hand; 
promise  that  you  will  think  of  me  as  a  friend,  that  you  will 
sacredly  cherish  recollections  of  the  past,  and  when  God  in 
mercy  shall  call  me  from  the  trials  of  life,  you  will  shed  for  me 
one  tear  of  pity  and  commiseration." 


MEETING  AGAIN.  287 

The  Elector  stooped  over  her,  gently  assisted  her  to  rise, 
and  led  her  to  a  seat.  "  Be  comforted,  poor  mourner,"  he  said, 
in  low  tones.  "  Forget  for  one  short  hour  what  you  have 
undergone,  and  only  remember  that  a  faithful  friend  is  at 
your  side,  who  never  can  forget  you,  and  who  by  no  means 
ceased  to  love  you  when  he  was  forced  to  leave  you.  Long 
did  you  reign  in  his  heart,  and  even  when  he  had  cause  to 
think  you  unworthy  of  his  love,  he  could  not  drive  your 
sweet  image  from  his  soul.  But  now,  Ludovicka,  now  I  am 
the  husband  of  a  woman  whom  I  truly  love,  and  who  brightens 
my  life  with  gentle  happiness.  The  glowing  love  which  I  once 
felt  has  changed  into  tender  friendship,  a  friendship  which 
would  withdraw  you  from  all  the  sorrows  of  earth,  and  rejoice 
to  offer  you  here  an  asylum  from  all  the  storms  of  life.  I  can 
not  be  your  lover,  but,  Ludovicka,  will  you  accept  me  as  your 
friend,  your  brother  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  cried,  with  a  fond  look,  "  yes,  I  will." 

"  Come  then,  dear  friend,  come  to  my  house.  Here,  in 
the  haven  of  true  friendship,  find  a  retreat  secure  from  all  the 
storms  of  the  world.  I  would  conduct  you  to  my  wife.  Like 
myself,  she  will  give  you  a  cordial  welcome." 

"  No!  "  she  cried  earnestly,  "  that  I  can  not  do!  The  sight 
of  your  happiness  would  kill  me,  or  fill  my  soul  with  envy 
and  repining.  You  give  me  your  friendship,  and  I  thank 
you  for  this  crumb;  but  in  me,  Frederick,  shines  still  the 
sun  of  my  youthful  love,  and  never  will  it  set.  Let  me  be  con- 
sumed by  its  ardent  rays;  I  shall  never  desire  it  to  change 
into  the  soft  moonlight  of  friendship.  I  can  not  see  your  wife, 
at  least  not  yet!  Grant  me  a  few  days  of  rest  in  which  to 
gain  self-control.  Perhaps  I  may  succeed  in  conquering  my 
feelings,  and  attaining  at  least  some  degree  of  composure  and 
resignation.  To  this  end  1  shall  direct  my  efforts,  and  it 
will  be  the  last,  greatest  sacrifice  I  shall  offer  to  the  world 
before  forsaking  it  forever.  Grant  me  just  two  days,  Fred- 
erick, and  you  will  see  that  from  you  I  have  learned  patience 
and  gentleness.  But  until  then,  let  my  presence  here  remain 
a  secret,  to  be  revealed  to  no  one,  not  even  your  "wife.  I  have 
come  here  to  see  you  only  secretly,  and  under  a  feigned  name. 
The  trusty  old  Burgsdorf  alone  knows  that  I  am  other  than 


288  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

I  seem,  and  probably  suspects  who  I  am.  Promise  me,  Fred- 
erick, to  keep  my  secret." 

"  Well,  Ludovicka,  my  friend,  I  promise,"  he  said,  and 
she  saw  not  the  light  mocking  smile  which  for  a  moment 
played  about  his  lips.  "  No  one  shall  know  that  you  are  here. 
I  shall  keep  silence  until  you  yourself  take  the  seal  from 
my  lips  by  saying  that  you  feel  able  to  meet  your  Cousin 
Louisa." 

"  Thank  you,  Frederick,  and  may  God  grant  me  power 
to  restrain  my  feelings  and  see  your  wife.  But,  alas!  I  fear 
it  may  not  be.  Just  permit  me  a  few  days  of  rest,  and,  above 
all,  grant  me  the  pleasure  of  your  society  during  that  space 
of  time.  For  fourteen  years  of  grief  and  torture  I  only  ask 
four  days  of  sunshine,  to  be  dedicated  to  the  past.  Will  you 
grant  them  to  me,  Frederick  William?  " 

"  Not  merely  to  you,  but  to  myself,  Ludovicka,"  said  the 
Elector  warmly.  "Four  days  consecrated  to  memory  and 
friendship,  four  days  apart  from  the  conventionalities  of  this 
world  and  the  engrossing  cares  of  government.  I  shall  give 
myself  up  to  enjoying  them  with  you,  and  when  they  are  past 
their  remembrance  will  gladden  my  heart.  But  where  will 
you  stay  these  four  days,  sweet  cousin  ?  " 

"  Here,  my  adored  Sovereign  and  friend — here,  in  the 
house  of  good,  trustworthy  old  Burgsdorf,  on  whom  I  forced 
myself  as  his  daughter,  and  who,  in  the  goodness  of  his  heart, 
had  not  courage  to  say  me  nay.  Ah!  you  have  a  devoted 
servant  in  him,  and  long  had  I  to  plead  with  him  before  he 
would  consent  to  hand  my  note  to  his  beloved  Elector.  I  had 
to  give  him  my  word  of  honor  that  I  had  no  evil  designs  against 
you.  I  shall  never  forget  that  it  was  he  to  whom  I  owe  the 
last  joy  of  my  life,  and  I  shall  ever  include  him  in  my  prayers. 
May  God  long  preserve  to  you,  Frederick  William,  this  faith- 
ful friend  and  counselor!  But  now,  my  lord  and  Elector, 
you  must  go.  The  night  is  advancing,  and  I  would  not  cause 
uneasiness  to  another's  heart.  Go,  Frederick,  but  promise 
me,  beloved  friend,  to  see  me  again  to-morrow." 

"  I  promise  you,  or  rather  myself,  to  devote  another  hour 
to-morrow  to  friendship's  sweet  communings.  I  shall  come, 
rest  assured  of  that." 


MEETING  AGAIN.  289 

"  And  forget  not  to  keep  the  secret  of  my  being  here  from 
every  one." 

"I  shall  not  forget,  Ludovicka,  thou  star  of  youthful 
love.  Farewell,  farewell! " 

He  took  her  hand  and  pressed  it  to  his  lips.  But  she  bent 
forward  and  offered  him  her  cheek.  "  I  am  not  yet  a  nun," 
she  said,  with  an  enchanting  smile  and  a  glowing  flash  of 
light  in  her  eyes.  "  I  still  belong  to  the  world,  and  the  last 
earthly  kiss  these  lips  receive  they  would  receive  from  you, 
Frederick  William." 

She  was  so  beautiful  to  behold,  so  fascinating,  that  it  was 
difficult  to  resist  the  magic  of  her  charms.  Frederick  Wil- 
liam's arms  had  well-nigh  opened  to  press  the  ravishing  form 
to  his  heart  as  he  stooped  to  take  the  proffered  kiss.  "  But 
no,"  he  murmured — "  no,  it  may  not  be!  "  And  drawing 
himself  up,  he  hurried  to  the  door.  "  Farewell,  Princess,  till 
to-morrow,  farewell! " 

Princess  Ludovicka  followed  him  with  a  long,  triumphant 
look.  "  I  shall  not  leave  at  the  expiration  of  four  days,"  she 
said,  smiling.  "  I  shall  manage  to  summon  sufficient  cour- 
age, not  merely  to  see  her,  but  to  stay  with  her.  For  I  see 
that  it  will  not  be  so  easy  a  thing  to  work  upon  the  dear,  vir- 
tuous Elector,  and  it  will  require  some  time  to  get  him  com- 
pletely in  my  toils." 

And,  as  with  quick  steps  he  returned  to  the  castle,  the 
Elector  said  to  himself:  "  It  seems  clear  to  me  that  I  am  on 
the  right  track,  and  that  it  is  a  political  intrigue,  in  which 
old  Burgsdorf  also  has  a  part  to  play,  for  she  praised  him  ex- 
cessively as  my  most  faithful  counselor.  Well,  we  shall  see. 
The  first  thing  I  shall  do  is  to  write  to  Princess  Amelia  at 
The  Hague,  to  ask  her  for  more  particular  information  con- 
cerning the  Princess  Ludovicka!  To-morrow  morning  early 
a  courier  sets  off  with  letters  of  condolence  on  the  occasion 
of  Prince  William's  death.  He  shall  also  be  the  bearer  of  my 
letter  to  Princess  Amelia,  and  from  her  I  shall  probably  obtain 
some  reliable  information." 


290  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 


X.— THE  TRIAL. 

THREE  days  after  the  imprisonment  of  beggar  Glaus,  his 
case  was  for  the  first  time  investigated  before  the  joint  tribunal 
of  Berlin  and  Cologne.  It  was  a  solemn  occasion,  looked 
forward  to  with  the  greatest  interest  and  curiosity  by  all  Ber- 
lin. Envied  were  those  who  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  sum- 
moned to  the  great  city  hall,  where  the  criminal  court  was 
accustomed  to  hold  its  sessions.  Fiirberg,  the  tailor,  Wendt, 
the  shoemaker,  Ewald,  the  cobbler,  and  Kurt,  the  leech,  were 
of  course  numbered  among  the  witnesses  cited  by  the  high 
magistrate,  and  the  master  builder  Memmhart,  with  a  few 
of  his  apprentices  and  workmen,  had  also  been  called  upon  to 
testify  against  the  beggar  who  was  to  be  tried  for  heinous 
crimes.  Dense  was  the  multitude  packed  into  the  little  square 
in  front  of  the  senate  house  and  in  the  streets  adjoining,  and, 
although  the  session  lasted  many  hours,  not  one  would  leave 
his  place  anc1  go  home  to  work  until  he  had  heard  the  issue 
of  the  affair.  Especially  were  they  curious  to  learn  whether 
the  criminal  had  confessed,  or  what  defense  he  had  made,  and 
whether  they  might  hope  that  he  would  meet  the  punishment 
due  his  crime. 

"  It  is  impossible  that  they  can  do  anything  else  but  con- 
demn him,"  said  one  burgher  to  his  neighbor.  "  The  whole 
city  knows  that  it  is  proved  that  he  is  a  sorcerer,  and  he  has 
himself  acknowledged  that  he  is  a  murderer;  consequently, 
it  is  impossible  that  he  can  escape." 

"  I  hope  he  will  he  hanged,"  answered  the  neighbor.  "  It 
would  be  particularly  welcome  just  now.  Trade  is  very  dull, 
and,  although  everybody  knows  my  brandy  and  beer  to  be  the 
best  in  Berlin,  money  comes  in  too  slowly  for  my  use.  Now, 
my  house  is  just  in  front  of  the  place  where  the  execution 
is  to  be.  If  it  should  come  off,  wouldn't  I  coin  money,  for, 
besides  the  liquor  which  the  gay  spectators  will  need,  I  shall 
have  the  whole  front  of  my  house  faced  with  scaffolding,  and 
get  a  good  price  for  the  seats.  An  execution,  you  know,  does 
not  take  place  every  day." 

It  would  be  too  revolting  to  polite  ears  to  be  called  upon 


THE  TRIAL.  291 

to  hear  more  of  the  coarse  conversation  carried  on  amid  a 
mob  upon  an  occasion  like  the  present,  fitted  to  arouse  all  the 
more  brutal  instincts  of  a  degraded  populace.  Many  and 
cruel  were  the  jests  bandied  from  mouth  to  mouth.  All  seemed 
to  look  forward  with  detestable  glee  to  the  hour  when  they 
might  behold  the  punishment  of  a  wretch  whom  they  thought 
it  a  virtue  to  abhor.  Not  even  a  woman's  voice  was  heard 
to  utter  one  accent  of  pity  or  sympathy:  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren all  mingled  their  voices  in  one  chorus  of  hatred  and  ma- 
lignity. Nought  would  satisfy  them  but  the  blood  of  the 
loathed  being  whom  they  stigmatized  as  a  wizard  and  mur- 
derer. 

While  the  people  were  entertaining  each  other  in  such 
manner  without  the  senate  house,  the  court  had  commenced 
its  session  within.  The  judges  and  counselors  had  seated 
themselves  upon  their  high-backed  chairs  behind  the  table 
covered  with  black  cloth,  the  witnesses  summoned  had  taken 
their  places  on  the  bench,  and  then  Burgomaster  Wegelin 
had  given  the  beadle  a  signal  to  bring  the  culprit  in. 

All  eyes  now  turned  toward  the  dark  little  sidedoor 
through  which  he  must  enter,  and,  although  everybody  knew 
the  beggar  Glaus,  yet  all  were  curious  to  behold  him  in  his  new 
character  of  wizard  and  murderer.  The  door  opened,  and 
the  beggar,  chained  hand  and  foot  and  clad  in  his  gray  gown, 
followed  the  beadle  into  the  long,  dark  hall.  Deep,  solemn 
silence  prevailed  as  he  stepped  slowly  forward;  no  sound  was 
heard  save  the  rattling  and  clanking  of  his  chains.  Close 
to  the  long  table  of  the  judges  the  beadle  led  the  accused,  bid- 
ding him  take  his  place  on  the  wooden  block  for  criminals, 
while  he  with  his  posse  took  his  station  behind  him. 

The  clerk  of  the  court  arose  and  read  the  indictment, 
charging  beggar  Clans  with  murder,  witchcraft,  and  sorcery. 
Every  one  fixed  his  glance  upon  the  accused,  and  saw  with 
astonishment  that  this  horrible  accusation  made  no  impres- 
sion whatever  upon  him.  His  countenance  was  wonderfully 
calm  and  serene,  and  his  features  betrayed  nought  of  the  an- 
guish of  a  criminal  arraigned  before  his  judges.  He  had 
folded  his  hands  over  his  breast,  his  eyes  were  turned  heaven- 
ward, and  about  his  lips  hovered  an  almost  cheerful  smile. 


292  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

When  the  reading  of  the  accusation  was  over,  the  presid- 
ing judge  arose.  "  Glaus,"  he  said,  "  you  have  heard  the 
charges  against  you.  Do  you  acknowledge  yourself  guilty?  " 

He  did  not  answer  immediately.  Slowly  he  took  a  survey 
of  all  assembled,  and  long  did  his  glance  rest  upon  the  four 
burghers  who  appeared  as  his  accusers  in  the  matter  of  witch- 
craft. Involuntarily  they  reddened  beneath  his  gaze,  and 
cast  down  their  eyes.  Glaus  smiled  and  then  turned  his  glance 
upon  Memmhart,  who  was  watching  him  with  sympathizing 
looks. 

"  Prisoner,"  repeated  the  judge,  "  answer.  Do  you  ac- 
knowledge yourself  guilty  of  the  crimes  charged  against  you?  " 

"  I  can  not  answer,  sir,  unless  you  will  permit  me  first  to 
ask  Herr  Memmhart  a  question,"  gently  replied  the  beggar. 
"  If  your  lordships  will  grant  me  that  favor,  I  shall  afterward 
give  you  a  candid  answer." 

The  judges  put  their  heads  together,  advising  with  one 
another  in  low  tones. 

"  Glaus,"  said  the  presiding  judge,  "  since  you  say  that 
your  answer  is  dependent  upon  what  you  have  to  say  to  the 
master  builder  Memmhart,  we  grant  your  request  to  avoid 
undue  delay.  Speak,  then!  " 

The  beggar  returned  thanks  with  a  gentle  inclination  of 
his  head,  and  once  more  turned  his  large,  blue  eyes  upon  the 
master  builder. 

"  Herr  Memmhart,"  he  asked  with  trembling  voice,  and 
a  flush  tinged  his  pale  cheeks  with  red,  to  be  succeeded  by  a 
deeper  pallor — "  Herr  Memmhart,  will  you  answer  me  just 
this  one  thing:  What  have  you  done  with  the  sacred  remains 
you  discovered  in  the  castle- wall?  Where  are  they?  I  be- 
seech you,  sir,  by  all  you  hold  sacred,  to  answer  me  truth- 
fully." 

"  I  will  answer  you  truthfully,  Glaus,"  replied  the  master 
builder  solemnly.  "  The  bones  found  by  us  in  yonder  walls 
were  deposited  in  a  coffin  yesterday  evening  by  our  most 
gracious  Elector's  orders,  and  buried  in  the  cathedral  church- 
yard. His  highness  also  bade  me  to  have  a  stone  cross  pre- 
pared, to  place  at  the  head  of  the  grave,  inscribed  with  the 
name '  Rebecca.' " 


THE  TRIAL.  293 

The  beggar  listened  to  him  with  suspended  breath,  and 
two  tears  slowly  coursed  down  his  sunken  cheeks. 

"  I  thank  you,  0  Lord  my  God!  "  he  murmured  to  himself. 
"  Now  I  can  die,  for  my  vow  is  accomplished.  I  have  noth- 
ing more  to  live  for  since  I  have  found  Eebecca's  grave.  Say 
to  the  Elector,"  he  cried,  "  that  from  the  depths  of  my  sou) 
I  thank  him  for  this  grace,  extended  not  merely  to  the  dead, 
but  to  a  wretched  man  who  durst  not  die,  until  he  had  found 
her  grave." 

"  Glaus,"  said  the  presiding  officer  of  the  court,  "  for  the 
third  time  I  ask  you,  are  you  guilty  or  not  guilty  of  the 
crimes  charged  against  you?  " 

"  Guilty!  "  cried  Glaus  joyfully.  "  Yes',  I  confess  my  guilt. 
Punish  me  according  to  the  severity  of  the  law!  I  am  a  mur- 
derer! The  woman  whose  skeleton  you  found  in  the  castle 
wall  perished  through  my  fault.  That  I  swear  by  the  Holy 
Trinity,  by  God  and  all  his  holy  angels.  I  and  I  alone  am  to 
blame  for  her  death.  I  am  a  sorcerer  and  master  of  magic, 
and  it  is  exactly  as  Ewald,  the  cobbler,  lately  said:  I  have  a 
spirit  in  a  little  vial  which  tells  me  all  that  I  would  know. 
Now  sentence  me,  lead  me  out  to  die,  for  you  know  all — 
you  know  that  I  deserve  to  die.  Oh,  give  me  death!  From 
the  depths  of  my  soul,  I  beg  you  for  it.  Let  me  die,  that  my 
sins  may  be  expiated!  " 

"  We  let  nobody  die,"  said  the  presiding  judge  sternly, 
"  unless  the  judge  has  sentenced  him  and  the  laws  condemned 
him.  The  law  acts  compassionately  toward  the  criminal,  re- 
quiring judges  to  sift  carefully  all  evidence  deposed,  and 
providing  an  advocate  to  plead  the  cause  of  the  accused,  in 
opposition  to  his  accusers.  The  law  offers  its  protection  even 
to  such  a  vagabond  and  beggar  as  Glaus.  We  would  now  re- 
ceive the  depositions  of  the  witnesses.  Herr  Memmhart,  ad- 
vance and  give  us  your  statement  with  regard  to  the  discov- 
ery of  the  skeleton,  and  all  that  passed  afterward." 

The  master  builder  obeyed,  speaking  with  a  clear,  distinct 
voice.  It  was  observable  that  he  tried  to  spare  the  prisoner 
as  much  as  possible,  and  was  very  unwilling  to  injure  him 
by  his  evidence.  He  omitted  to  state  that  Glaus  had  caught 
hold  of  him,  and  possessed  himself  of  the  ring  by  force,  and 


294  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

that  he  had  in  like  violent  manner  appropriated  the  veil. 
But  the  beggar  himself  reminded  him  of  these  things,  and 
supplied  with  circumstantial  exactness  particulars  which 
Memmhart  had  compassionately  forborne  to  mention. 

"  Is  it  as  Glaus  says?  "  asked  the  president.  "  Has  he 
actually  been  guilty  of  street  robbery  besides,  and  taken  a 
ring  and  veil  away  from  you  by  force  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  so,"  replied  Memmhart,  sighing.  "  But  I  do 
not  believe  he  did  it  with  the  intent  to  rob,  but  merely,  as  it 
seemed,  because  those  things  were  precious  mementos  of  one 
he  had  probably  loved." 

"  No !  "  cried  Glaus  eagerly.  "  I  did  do  it  with  the  intent 
to  rob.  The  ring  was  of  pure  gold,  and  the  veil  trimmed  with 
costly  lace.  I  wanted  these  things  that  I  might  sell  them 
again.  I  am  not,  therefore,  merely  a  murderer  and  sorcerer, 
but  a  highwayman  also!  " 

"  It  will  all  be  in  vain,"  muttered  Memmhart  to  himself; 
"  he  will  not  be  saved." 

"  The  corpus  delicti,  the  ring,  has  also  been  found  upon 
the  person  of  the  prisoner,"  said  the  president.  "  The  beadle 
committed  it  to  my  keeping,  and  here  it  is.  Herr  Memm- 
hart, do  you  identify  this  ring  as  the  one  taken  from  you  by 
Glaus?" 

The  page  for  the  court  handed  the  trinket  to  the  master 
builder.  "  I  do  not  know,"  he  said,  examining  it  narrowly. 
"  I  can  not  swear  that  this  is  the  very  same  ring,  for  I  hardly 
saw  it." 

"  Let  me  see  the  ring,  sirs! "  cried  Glaus,  stretching  out 
his  hand.  "  I  can  tell  you  whether  it  is  the  identical  ring." 

Upon  a  sign  of  assent  from  the  judge  the  page  brought 
the  ring  to  the  prisoner.  He  clutched  at  it  with  trembling 
fingers  and  looked  at  it.  "  Yes,  this  is  the  ring! "  he  cried, 
in  a  loud  exulting  voice.  "  This  is  my  Eebecca's  ring.  It  is 
my  ring,  and  nobody  shall  take  it  from  me." 

And  before  the  page  could  suspect  his  purpose,  Glaus  thrust 
the  little  gold  ring  into  his  mouth  and  swallowed  it. 

"  Now  take  my  ring,  my  treasure!  "  he  cried  triumphantly. 
"My  Rebecca's  corpse  lies  buried  in  the  churchyard,  and  I 
myself  will  become  the  tomb  of  her  ring;  my  body  is  now 


THE  TRIAL.  295 

the  shrine  of  a  holy  relic.  Sentence  me — sentence  me  now, 
for  have  I  not  committed  another  crime,  another  robbery  ?  " 

"  You  are  a  wild,  unmanageable  fellow/'  said  the  judge; 
"  and  if  you  go  on  so  we  shall  know  how  to  tame  you  by 
giving  you  a  taste  of  the  rack.  Eemember  that,  and  be 
reverential  and  submissive.  Now  let  the  other  witnesses  be 
heard." 

The  other  witnesses  were  less  reserved  and  moderate  in 
their  mode  of  giving  evidence.  They  charged  beggar  Glaus 
with  sorcery.  They  told  that  he  had  shown  them  where  to 
find  things  which  had  been  lost  without  his  having  any  natural 
way  of  knowing  anything  about  them.  They  also  testified 
that  when  in  astonishment  they  had  asked  how  he  had  ob- 
tained such  knowledge,  beggar  Claus  replied  that  he  kept  a 
spirit  in  a  vial,  who  was  obliged  to  tell  him  whatever  he  wanted 
to  know.* 

"  Is  that  true?  Did  you  really  say  that?  "  asked  the  presi- 
dent of  the  court. 

"  Have  you  not  the  proofs  of  it  in  your  own  hands?  "  re- 
plied Claus,  with  a  scornful  laugh.  "  Did  not  the  beadle  hand 
over  to  you  all  that  he  so  rudely  took  from  me  when  he  searched 
my  person?  If  he  did  not  hand  over  that  golden  box  to  you, 
most  worshipful  judges,  then  he  is  a  thief  and  robber,  de- 
serving to  occupy  a  criminal's  place  with  me." 

"  Silence,  and  make  no  railing  accusation  against  an 
honest,  worthy  man,"  ordered  the  president.  "  Certainly, 
the  beadle  committed  the  gold  box  to  our  care,  and  it  lies 
here  on  the  table  as  an  evidence  against  you." 

"  Then  have  the  goodness  to  open  it,  worshipful  sir,  and 
you  will  find  within  the  vial,  where  abides  the  spirit  who  re- 
veals all  things  to  me." 

"  It  does  not  become  a  good  Christian  to  meddle  with 
such  devilish  things,  or  touch  them  with  his  finger,  and  it 
is  perfectly  sufficient  to  hear  your  testimony  on  the  subject. 
We  will  not  allow  ourselves  to  be  further  troubled  with  such 
an  abominable  piece  of  witchcraft.  Beadle,  have  you  the  ham- 
mer ready  as  we  bade  you?  " 

*  This  was  actually  the  main  accusation  against  beggar  Claus.     Vide 
Konig,  Description  of  Berlin,  part  2,  p.  67. 


296  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

"  Yes,  high  puissant  sir,  I  have  it  ready,"  replied  the 
beadle,  with  a  low  reverence. 

"  Fetch  it  here,  then;  place  this  little  gold  box  on  the 
wooden  block  beside  the  prisoner,  and  shatter  it  to  pieces, 
calling  upon  the  Holy  Trinity  all  the  while! " 

The  beadle  hurried  to  a  corner  of  the  hall,  and  brought 
forth  a  huge  hammer.  With  this  he  approached  the  wooden 
block  on  which  he  had  laid  the  gold  box,  and  lifted  his  arm 
for  a  first  stroke. 

But  at  this  instant  Glaus  grasped  his  arm  and  held  him 
fast.  "  For  God's  sake,"  he  said,  "  if  your  life  is  dear  to  you, 
and  if  you  would  not  have  the  devil  appear  among  you  with 
thunder  and  lightning,  pitch  and  sulphur,  then  desist  from 
your  mad  undertaking,  and  attempt  not  to  shatter  the  little 
box  and  its  contents.  For  if  you  break  the  vial,  you  will  free 
the  devil  within,  and  he  will  be  loose  among  you  all.  Wise 
masters,  I  beseech  you,  for  your  own  soul's  sake,  to  command 
your  beadle,  Master  Kriiger,  not  to  attempt  aught  so  danger- 
ous and  presumptuous." 

With  an  expression  of  horror  and  dismay  the  beadle  had 
shrunk  back  a  little;  the  judges  looked  at  one  another  with 
pale  faces,  and  then  spoke  together  in  low  whispers. 

"  Beadle,"  commanded  the  president  of  the  court,  "  lay 
aside  your  hammer.  For  the  present  we  will  defer  the  break- 
ing of  the  little  box." 

At  this  instant  the  door  opened  and  the  porter  announced 
with  loud  voice,  "  A  messenger  from  his  most  serene  Highness 
the  Elector! " 

"  He  may  present  himself  before  us!  "  cried  the  president, 
and  Chamberlain  Kunkel  entered  the  hall. 

"  I  have  a  communication  to  lay  before  this  high  tribunal 
from  the  most  noble  Elector,  written  with  his  own  hand," 
said  he,  bowing  low;  and  stepping  up  to  the  black  table,  he 
laid  down  upon  it  a  large  sealed  packet.  Then  his  eyes  slowly 
swept  through  the  hall,  and  when  they  fell  upon  Glaus  he 
gave  him  a  slight  nod  of  the  head.  A  ray  of  joy  flashed 
across  the  beggar's  face.  "  Sirs,"  he  cried,  "  I  will  now  prove 
to  you  that  I  have  spoken  the  truth  in  declaring  myself  to  be 
a  sorcerer.  Let  me  take  that  magical  gold  box  in  my  hand, 


THE  TRIAL.  297 

and  then  I  will  tell  you  what  is  written  in  the  Elector's  let- 
ter." 

"  Take  the  devilish  thing,  and  give  us  a  proof  of  your 
diabolical  art.  Tell  us  what  are  the  contents  of  our  Sover- 
eign Elector's  communication." 

Glaus  took  the  box  up  from  the  block  and  pressed  it  fer- 
vently to  his  lips.  "  Well,  hear  ye,  worshipful  lords,"  he  said. 
"  His  highness's  writing  reads  as  follows:  *  The  Elector  de- 
mands of  these  august  judges  that  they  restore  to  the  beggar 
Glaus  a  little  golden  box  which  he  wears  around  his  neck,  and 
which  has  been  taken  from  him,  since  the  Elector  once  prom- 
ised him  that  nobody  should  deprive  him  of  this  piece  of 
property  so  long  as  he  lived! '  Now,  gentlemen,  see  if  such 
are  not  the  contents  of  that  document." 

"  It  is  indeed  so,"  almost  shrieked  the  president,  turning 
pale.  "Yes,  hear  what  the  Elector  says: 

" '  Sending  our  surgeon  yesterday  to  examine  the  condi- 
tion of  health  of  your  prisoner,  beggar  Glaus,  he  returned  to 
me  with  a  most  urgent  petition,  which  makes  us  feel  compelled 
to  make  known  to  you  the  following:  Beggar  Glaus  wears 
on  a  ribbon  around  his  neck  a  little  golden  box,  which  is  his 
own.  I  have  given  him  my  Electoral  word  that  no  one  shall 
deprive  him  of  this  so  long  as  he  lives.  Therefore,  I  require 
you  instantly  to  return  to  him  his  own  property  and  not  to 
pretend  to  deprive  him  of  it.  For  justice  and  law  should  be 
dispensed  to  all  equally,  the  beggar  as  well  as  the  noble.  Beg- 
ging your  prompt  attention  to  this  matter,  I  remain, 

"  '  YOUB    GEACIOUS   LOED   AND   ELECTOB.'  ': 

After  the  presiding  judge  had  read  this  communication 
in  a  loud  voice,  he  offered  it  to  the  one  sitting  at  his  side, 
who,  after  looking  at  it,  gave  it  to  his  neighbor,  and  as  the 
paper  thus  made  the  rounds  all  faces  grew  pale,  and  there 
was  a  general  murmur  of:  "  He  has  produced  the  proof.  He 
spoke  the  truth." 

With  inexpressible  awe  and  aversion,  all  eyes  were  fixed 
upon  the  beggar,  who  alone  preserved  a  cheerful,  tranquil 
expression. 


298  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  Gracious  sirs,"  he  implored,  "  will  you  now  condescend 
to  restore  to  me  my  property,  and  leave  me  in  its  undisturbed 
possession?  You  know  my  summons  to  leave  this  vale  of 
misery  can  not  long  be  deferred  now." 

"  Take  the  little  box  and  keep  it,"  said  the  presiding  judge 
solemnly.  "  You  have  proved  before  us  all  that  you  know 
hidden  things.  You  do  not  deny  being  the  murderer  of  the 
woman  discovered  in  the  castle  wall,  and,  in  accordance  with 
the  testimony  of  these  witnesses,  you  acknowledge  having 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  witchcraft.  You  therefore  stand 
convicted  of  the  most  dreadful  crimes.  Beggar  Glaus  is  a 
wizard,  a  conjurer,  and  a  murderer.  I  accuse  him  of  these 
crimes,  but  before  I  pronounce  sentence  against  him  I  sum- 
mon to  speak  in  his  defense  the  advocate  whom  the  benevolence 
of  the  law  provides  to  plead  in  behalf  of  the  criminal." 

"  Gentlemen,"  cried  Glaus,  with  anxious  mien,  "  I  want 
no  defense,  I  decline  the  aid  of  the  advocate  accorded  me  by 
the  benevolence  of  the  law." 

"And  if  Glaus  were  to  make  no  such  protest,"  said  the 
advocate,  rising  from  his  seat  beside  the  judges,  "  yet  really 
I  should  not  know  how  to  set  about  defending  him.  He  has 
pleaded  guilty  to  all  the  charges  brought  against  him,  and 
I  can  see  no  indication  whatever  of  innocence." 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  Mr.  Defendant,  thank  you! "  cried 
Glaus  joyfully.  "  You  are  indeed  my  advocate,  since  you  re- 
fuse to  undertake  my  defense." 

Now  the  presiding  judge  arose,  taking  in  his  hand  the 
white  wooden  staff  which  lay  on  the  table  before  him. 

"Nothing  remains  to  be  done,"  he  said,  "but  to  pro- 
nounce sentence.  In  the  name  of  the  public  safety,  in  the 
name  of  the  law,  I  lay  the  ban  of  the  city  upon  this  prisoner, 
and  my  verdict  is  death.  In  token  whereof  I  break  this  staff. 
Ye  judges  and  dispensers  of  law,  whoever  is  of  my  opinion 
let  him  do  the  same.  Let  him  who  dissents  from  this  judg- 
ment refrain  from  breaking  his  staff.  Such  is  right,  act  ac- 
cordingly in  the  name  of  God  and  justice!  " 

The  judges  rose  to  their  feet,  each  taking  his  white  staff 
in  his  hand.  A  pause  ensued.  All  faces  were  grave  and  sol- 
emn. Each  one  felt  in  his  quivering  heart  the  deep  signifi- 


THE  TRIAL.  299 

cance  of  this  moment,  which  was  about  to  decide  the  fate  of 
a  human  being. 

Glaus  had  sunk  upon  his  knees  and  buried  his  face  in  his 
hands,  the  master  builder  Memmhart  and  the  rest  of  the  wit- 
nesses stood  up,  looking  breathlessly  toward  the  judges,  and 
Chamberlain  Kiinkel,  who,  smitten  with  horror,  had  retreated 
to  the  door,  could  not  prevail  upon  himself  to  leave  the  spot, 
but  stood  there  awaiting  the  decision  with  anxious  looks. 

In  the  midst  of  this  awful  silence  was  suddenly  heard  the 
cracking  and  splitting  of  the  staves,  which  the  judges  broke 
in  twain. 

Then  all  was  again  still,  and  these  twelve  men  in  their  long, 
black  robes,  with  their  pale,  earnest  faces,  resumed  their 
places  in  the  high-backed  chairs.  The  president  of  the  court 
called  out,  "  Page,  collect  the  broken  and  sound  staves  and 
bring  them  to  me  to  count." 

The  page  went  to  the  table,  gathered  together  all  the 
staves,  and  laid  them  before  the  judge. 

"  Mr.  President,"  he  said,  "  here  are  the  staves.  There 
is  not  a  sound  one  among  them." 

The  president  slowly  counted  the  staves  and  laid  them 
side  by  side  upon  the  table. 

"  All  twelve  staves  are  broken,"  he  said.  "  The  accused 
is  unanimously  condemned  to  die." 

"  Eebecca,  my  Eebecca! "  murmured  Claus,  "  you  release 
me,  you  call  me  to  yourself!  " 

"  Claus,"  continued  the  president  solemnly,  "  you  are 
judged  worthy  of  death  by  us  all,  the  verdict  being  given  in  ac- 
cordance with  law  and  right.  You  are  to  die  by  the  hand  of  the 
executioner  in  front  of  the  city  hall.  Your  head  is  to  be 
severed  from  the  trunk  by  the  axe,  your  body  afterward 
burned,  and  the  ashes  scattered  to  the  four  winds  of  heaven!  " 

Another  pause  ensued,  and  the  looks  now  directed  toward 
Claus  spoke  feelings  of  pity  and  sympathy.  He  slowly  rose 
from  his  knees  and  stood  up  firm  and  erect. 

"  I  thank  my  judges  for  their  sentence,"  he  said  quietly. 
"  I  accept  it,  and  am  ready  to  die." 

"  The  law  grants  the  condemned  criminal  eight  days'  re- 
spite, that  he  may  appeal  to  our  Sovereign  Elector,  either  for 
20 


300  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

pardon  or  a  commutation  of  the  sentence  to  one  of  perpetual 
imprisonment.  Consider  what  you  will  do,  Glaus,  and  profit 
well  by  these  eight  days  of  grace." 

"  Mr.  President! "  cried  Glaus  anxiously,  "  I  have  no  re- 
quest to  make  but  this  one:  Will  my  judges  graciously  forbear 
prolonging  my  tortures? — will  they  grant  my  last,  my  only 
petition,  and  give  me  without  delay  the  death  I  so  richly  merit 
and  which  in  mercy  you  have  adjudged  to  be  my  due?  " 

The  president,  however,  answered  him  not.  He  signed 
to  the  beadle  and  his  attendants.  "  Conduct  the  prisoner 
back  to  his  cell  now,  and  guard  him  well." 

They  seized  him  by  both  arms  and  led  him  away.  Silently 
each  looked  after  him,  and  even  the  burghers  and  mechanics 
who  had  testified  with  such  bitterness  against  Glaus  seemed, 
now  that  sentence  had  been  passed,  to  be  more  mildly  disposed. 
Perhaps  they  even  felt  something  like  remorse,  for  they  did 
not  triumph,  but  walked  slowly  away  with  bowed  heads. 

Chamberlain  Kiinkel,  too,  made  haste  to  leave  the  senate 
house,  and  would  willingly  have  returned  to  the  castle  at  a 
quick  pace,  but  he  could  only  advance  slowly  through  the 
thronging  multitude  that  filled  the  senate  house  and  adjoin- 
ing streets,  as  well  as  the  long  bridge  and  the  cathedral  square. 
The  people  had  just  heard  the  verdict  from  the  witnesses, 
who  had  descended  among  them,  and  received  the  tidings 
with  a  deafening  shout  of  applause  and  rejoicing.  Then,  with 
loud  screams,  they  called  upon  Kurt,  the  leech,  to  tell  them 
the  whole  story,  and  Kurt  posted  himself  upon  a  curbstone 
and  began  his  narrative. 

The  people  pressed  closer  and  closer,  listening  in  breath- 
less suspense  to  the  leech's  account  of  the  trial.  Only  with 
difficulty  could  the  Electoral  chamberlain  force  his  way 
through,  and  many  a  thrust  had  he  to  give  and  many  a  curse 
sounded  behind  him  before  he  finally  gained  the  castle  door. 
Ha  sprang  quickly  up  the  stairs,  and  hurried  to  the  Electoral 
apartments. 

The  Elector  had  already  seen  him  enter  the  antechamber, 
and  opened  his  cabinet  door. 

"Come  in,  Kiinkel,"  he  ordered,  "and  tell  me  quickly: 
Have  they  condemned  Glaus?  " 


THE  TRIAL.  301 

"  Yes,  your  highness,  they  have  sentenced  him  to  die 
by  the  executioner's  axe,  and  the  sentence  was  unanimous. 
However,  they  granted  him  a  respite  of  eight  days  in  case  he 
should  wish  to  petition  your  highness  for  pardon.  But  he 
begged  for  speedy  death." 

A  dark  flush  suffused  the  Elector's  face.  With  a  wave 
of  his  hand  he  signed  to  Kiinkel  to  withdraw,  and  then  with 
long  strides  angrily  paced  the  apartment. 

"Unanimously!"  he  cried,  stopping  suddenly  in  the 
middle  of  the  room,  "  they  have  unanimously  condemned  him 
to  death.  Ah!  they  would  defy  me;  they  would  show  me 
that  they  are  free,  independent  judges,  and  that  my  wishes 
weigh  nothing  in  the  scale!  But  I  shall  prove  to  them  that 
I  am  their  lord  and  master,  whom  the  divine  right  of  pardon 
exalts  above  them  all,  and  who  can  bring  to  naught  what 
their  childish  wisdom  and  foolish  superstition  have  devised. 
No,  you  proud  blockheads!  you  superstitious  fools!  you  shall 
not  execute  poor,  miserable  Gabriel  Nietzel  as  a  murderer 
and  sorcerer.  I  will  save  the  poor  man  in  spite  of  you  and 
himself.  Yes,  yes,  no  innocent  man  shall  be  condemned,  and 
the  irrationality  of  man  shall  not  make  a  criminal  out  of  a 
poor  penitent,  who  has  already  undergone  fourteen  years  of 
penance.  I  must  and  shall  save  Gabriel  Nietzel!  I  will  soften 
his  heart,  so  that  he  will  accept  the  pardon  which  I  offer  him. 
I  shall  send  Kiinkel  to  Joachim's  vale  for  Jacob  Uhle.  Ga- 
briel shall  see  his  son,  and  that  son  shall  beg  him  to  accept 
life  at  my  hands.  Oh,  I  think  that  will  touch  his  heart,  and 
he  will  want  to  live  again  when  he  sees  his  son.  Yes,  yes,  that 
will  answer.  But  how  sad  and  wretched  is  all  this! "  he  con- 
tinued, slowly  shaking  his  head  and  lifting  his  eyes  to  heaven. 
"  Men  only  try  to  devour  one  another;  they  are  cruel  and 
bloodthirsty,  delighting  in  revenge.  And  yet,  all  are  the  chil- 
dren of  one  God,  and  all  stand  so  much  in  need  of  mercy! 
0  God!  pity  our  necessity!  Be  gracious  to  me,  0  Lord!  and 
grant  me  the  greatest  happiness  that  a  prince  may  know,  the 
happiness  of  dispensing  pardon!  " 


BOOK  IV. 
I. — POLITICS  AND  INTEIGTJES. 

"  THIS,  then,  is  the  day  for  the  Princess  Ludovicka's  de- 
cision," said  the  Elector  to  himself,  as  he  returned  to  his  cabi- 
net after  holding  his  morning  conference  with  ministers  and 
councilors.  "  Yes,  to-day  Ludovicka  will  be  obliged  either  to 
take  leave  of  me  and  depart  hence  or  to  come  to  the  castle  to 
be  at  last  presented  to  her  cousin.  That  is  the  alternative 
which  I  yesterday  placed  before  her,  and  I  am  really  curious 
to  see  what  course  she  will  pursue.  If  she  goes,  I  shall  have 
done  her  injustice  in  supposing  that  she  was  conducting  a 
political  intrigue,  but  if  she  stays,  I  shall  think  that  I  was 
right,  and  that  the  fair  Ludovicka  Hollandine  cared  less  to 
see  the  beloved  of  her  youth  than  the  present  Elector  of  Bran- 
denburg, and  that  she  seeks  something  else  here  than  to  re- 
vive memories  of  her  love.  But  what  is  it  that  she  seeks,  and 
to  what  purpose  is  this  masquerade?  Can  the  Princess  actually 
have  been  sent  here  by  France?  Is  it  possible  that  it  can  be 
an  object  with  any  one  to  gain  Brandenburg  for  an  ally  and 
friend?" 

The  Elector  sighed  and  seated  himself  before  the  writing 
table,  which  was  loaded  with  documents  of  various  kinds.  "  It 
goes  ill  with  us,"  he  said,  shaking  his  head.  "  Our  feud  with 
the  Count  Palatine  of  Neuburg  has  turned  greatly  to  our 
disadvantage,  and  yet  I  was  right,  and  the  grasping  old  Elec- 
tor had  neither  law  nor  justice  on  his  side  in  his  attempt  to 
wrest  from  me  my  countship  of  Berg.  I  would  have  been  dis- 
honored if  I  had  voluntarily  submitted  to  this  robbery,  and 
I  was  compelled  to  take  up  my  sword  to  defend  my  rights.* 

*  The  petty  war  waged  between  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg  and  the 

303 


POLITICS  AND  INTRIGUES.  303 

But  on  this  occasion  I  must  admit  that  the  Elector  of  Branden- 
burg stands  alone,  a  thorn  in  the  eye  of  all.  Yes,  all  the  princes 
were  against  me,  and  wrong  became  right  to  prejudice  my  in- 
terests. So  they  put  me  under  the  moral  necessity  of  con- 
cluding the  Cleves  compromise,  and  I  was  forced  to  submit, 
although  I  felt  it  strike  like  a  dagger  to  my  heart." 

A  loud  knock  at  the  door  interrupted  the  Elector  in  his 
train  of  thought.  The  door  was  opened,  and  Conrad  von 
Burgsdorf  entered  the  room,  with  grave,  businesslike  air,  carry- 
ing under  his  arm  a  portfolio  filled  with  papers. 

"  Ah!  there  comes  my  lord  high  chamberlain,  privy  coun- 
cilor, and  minister,"  said  the  Elector  pleasantly.  "  You  bring 
us  more  work,  it  seems;  so  we  did  not  settle  everything  at  our 
morning  session?  " 

"  Your  highness,"  replied  Burgsdorf,  depositing  his  port- 
folio on  the  table  before  the  Elector,  "  I  certainly  bring  more 
work  for  your  grace.  You  demanded  of  each  of  your  privy 
councilors  an  opinion  upon  your  political  situation.  Your 
highness  addressed  to  them  the  following  questions:  How  is 
your  highness  to  act  in  the  present  juncture  of  the  times? 
whom  are  you  to  trust — against  whom  to  be  on  your  guard? 
and  are  you  to  court  an  alliance,  and  if  so,  with  whom?  "  * 

"  Yes,  such  was  the  purport  of  my  questions,"  said  the 
Elector,  "  and  I  am  right  curious  to  get  the  responses  of  my 
sage  privy  councilors." 

"  Your  highness,  their  answers  are  contained  in  this  port- 
folio. They  all  arrived  during  the  course  of  the  past  day,  and 
I  have  the  honor  of  handing  them  to  your  highness." 

Count  Palatine  of  Neuburg  in  the  year  1651  alarmed  not  merely  all  Ger- 
many, but  France,  England,  Sweden,  and  Holland  as  well ;  even  Spain 
concerned  herself  in  this  affair,  and  all  parties  put  themselves  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  Elector  of  Brandenburg.  Frederick  "William  was  therefore 
forced,  in  obedience  to  the  Emperor's  desire,  as  well  as  at  the  urgent  in- 
stance of  his  own  States,  to  submit  to  a  compromise  with  the  Palatinate 
of  Neuburg  whereby  the  status  quo  was  maintained.  Not  until  the  year 
1B66.  after  prolonged  contentions,  was  it  finally  settled  that  the  Elector 
of  Brandenburg  should  keep  the  duchy  of  Cleves  and  the  countships  of 
Merk  and  Ravensberg,  while  the  Elector  of  the  Palatinate  of  Neuburg 
retained  the  duchy  of  Julich  and  Berg. 
*  See  Droysen,  vol.  iii,  part  2,  p.  66. 


304  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  I  like  that,  old  friend,  and  together  we  will  examine 
them.  Sit  at  the  table  opposite  me,  open  your  portfolio,  and 
take  out  the  papers.  For  the  present,  however,  we  shall  only 
take  a  few  of  them  under  consideration.  Look  first  for  the 
communication  sent  by  the  Stadtholder  of  Pomerania,  Philip 
von  Horn." 

"  Here  it  is,  gracious  sir,"  replied  Burgsdorf ,  selecting  one 
from  among  the  six  sealed  dispatches  and  handing  it  to  the 
Elector. 

"  Open  it  yourself,"  was  the  Elector's  order;  "  look  over 
it,  and  acquaint  me  briefly  with  its  leading  topics." 

"  Your  highness,  here  is  just  such  a  leading  topic,"  said 
Burgsdorf,  who  had  unfolded  the  dispatch  and  glanced  over  it. 

"  Well,  let  us  hear;  how  runs  this  leading  topic  ?  " 

"  Your  highness,  so  it  runs:  '  Your  grace,  alas!  seems  at 
present  to  be  completely  isolated,  and  I  know  none,  either 
within  or  without  the  empire,  in  whom  your  Electoral  High- 
ness may  safely  repose  confidence.  Many  have  dared  to  speak 
injuriously  of  your  Electoral  Highness,  and  to  express  them- 
selves as  highly  aggrieved  that  during  the  past  year  you  should 
have  ventured  to  break  so  dearly  bought  a  peace,  thus  run- 
ning the  risk  of  rekindling  the  flames  of  a  universal  war.  It 
has  now  become  quite  a  generally  received  maxim  that  the 
less  the  power  of  him  who  is  feared,  the  greater  is  the  security 
of  the  party  threatened.  On  this  ground  all,  the  weak  as 
well  as  the  strong,  would  only  be  too  glad  to  see  Brandenburg 
humbled.' " 

"You  are  right,"  said  the  Elector  quietly;  "that  is  in- 
deed an  important  point,  and  gives  us  a  morsel  to  chew  that 
is  rather  difficult  to  digest.  Lay  that  dispatch  upon  the  table, 
and  take  up  the  one  sent  by  Blumenthal,  Stadtholder  of 
Halberstadt.  Search  there  likewise  for  such  a  leading  topic, 
and  I  doubt  not  but  that  you  will  find  it." 

"  Ah,  your  highness!  "  cried  Burgsdorf,  after  a  short  pause, 
during  which  he  had  rapidly  glanced  through  the  missive, 
"  one  leading  topic  occupies  the  whole  ground  here." 

"  Give  us  an  outline  of  it,  then." 

"  Here,  for  example:  '  Your  Electoral  Highness  should 
seek  peace  above  all  things.  Wherefore,  your  highness  will 


POLITICS  AND  INTRIGUES.  305 

do  well  to  abstain  from  all  differences  with  foreign  potentates; 
to  keep  within  the  bounds  of  a  just  neutrality;  in  disputes  with 
members  of  the  body  Germanic,  to  abide  by  the  lawful  and 
impartial  decision  of  his  Imperial  Majesty,  and  thus  preserve 
a  good  conscience.  Permit  me  to  recommend  the  most  illus- 
trious example  of  the  Elector  Joachim,  who  throughout  the 
empire  gained  for  himself  the  reputation  of  being  a  communis 
pacificator  imperil.  For  going  to  war  is  like  using  a  golden 
hook  to  catch  a  sorry  fish:  it  costs  more  than  it  comes  to; 
often,  indeed,  naught  is  gained  but  loss  of  reputation,  or  what 
was  ill-gotten  must  be  kept  by  new  wars,  and  to  pay  one's  sup- 
porters consumes  more  than  all  won,  for ' 

"Enough!"  interposed  the  Elector  impatiently;  "lay 
that  dispatch  aside.  I  shall  hereafter  read  it  to  an  end.  Now 
take  Conrad  von  Burgsdorf's  representation  in  hand,  and  read 
to  me  the  views  unfolded  by  my  faithful,  deserving,  and  pru- 
dent minister,  privy  councilor,  and  lord  high  chamberlain." 

"  Your  highness!  "  cried  Burgsdorf,  laughing,  "  my  views 
have  not  been  committed  to  paper,  but  are  written  in  my  head 
and  heart  alone.  You  well  know,  my  much-loved  lord  and 
Elector,  that  writing  is  not  my  forte,  and  my  weak  old  fingers 
are  so  stiff  and  unskilled  that  a  goose  quill  is  crushed  by  them 
in  no  time,  because  they  fancy  it  is  a  sword,  such  as  they  have 
been  accustomed  to  handle.  I  therefore  beg  your  gracious  per- 
mission to  impart  my  advice  unceremoniously  by  word  of 
mouth." 

"  Well,  do  so,  you  lazy  old  fellow,"  said  the  Elector,  smil- 
ing. "  Give  us  your  opinion;  but  of  this,  too,  only  the  most 
important;  and  if  there  are  any  hard  bits,  you  are  the  man 
to  swallow  them  for  the  present,  and  furnish  them  ample 
harbor  in  that  broad,  capacious  chest  of  yours." 

"  With  your  leave,  then,  most  gracious  sir,"  said  Burgsdorf, 
clearing  his  throat,  "  my  humble  opinion  is  that  it  is  of  su- 
preme importance  to  your  highness  to  seek  to  ally  yourself 
with  some  influential  power,  whose  interest  it  would  be  to  pro- 
mote the  increasing  strength  of  Brandenburg,  not  so  much 
out  of  tender  inclination  as  for  its  own  sake,  hoping,  per- 
haps, to  use  the  mighty  Elector  as  a  bulwark  against  other  pow- 
erful enemies.  But  who,  I  now  ask  myself — who  can  be  such 


306  TIIE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

f 

an  ally,  whose  interests  are  identical  with  those  of  Branden- 
burg? Most  assuredly  it  is  not  the  Emperor  of  Germany, 
for  the  greater  the  aggrandizement  of  the  Elector  of  Bran- 
denburg, the  more  dangerous  becomes  he  to  the  Emperor  and 
Austria.  The  house  of  Austria  is  old  and  the  house  of  Bran- 
denburg new.  Now,  the  old  always  feel  themselves  threat- 
ened by  the  young,  and  look  askance  at  their  growth  and  in- 
crease. How,  then,  can  the  house  of  Austria  look  with  other 
than  invidious  eyes  upon  my  glorious  Elector,  upon  whose 
face  is  stamped  the  impress  of  a  bold  spirit,  that  can  only  have 
been  created  for  noble  deeds?  Besides,  the  house  of  Austria 
is  the  upholder  of  the  Catholic  party  in  Germany,  and  would 
gladly  contribute  to  the  downfall  of  a  prince  to  whose  in- 
fluence it  is  justly  attributed  that  at  the  Peace  of  Westphalia 
the  Lutherans  obtained  equal  rights  with  the  Catholics.  There- 
fore, all  the  Catholic  princes  in  Germany,  in  like  manner  as 
his  Majesty  the  Emperor,  are  opposed  to  you,  and  fully  agreed 
that  a  stop  must  be  put  to  the  further  advancement  of  Bran- 
denburg, if  they  would  not  see  the  cause  of  their  religion  preju- 
diced. The  States-General  of  Holland,  too,  seem  to  have  little 
more  concern  in  preserving  Brandenburg's  friendship,  al- 
though this  is  indeed  to  be  wondered  at  since  our  most  gra- 
cious Electress  is  a  Princess  of  Orange.  However,  the  States 
of  Holland  care  much  less  about  the  relatives  of  their  Stadt- 
holder  than  about  their  own  interests,  and  will  therefore  never 
be  faithful  allies,  but  always  adjust  their  sails  to  catch  the 
wind  best  fitted  to  propel  their  own  ship  forward.  As  to 
Sweden,  your  highness  well  knows  the  inimical  disposition 
to  Brandenburg  prevailing  there,  and  that  she  will  profit  by 
every  opportunity  to  fish  in  troubled  waters  and  possess  her- 
self of  that  part  of  Pomerania  now  lost  to  her.  From  Poland 
you  can  hope  for  no  assistance  in  times  of  distress,  for " 

"  Hark,  Burgsdorf !  "  interposed  the  Elector.  "  I  need  no 
information  as  to  who  are  my  enemies  and  opponents.  I  also 
know  how  desirable  it  is  for  me  to  escape  from  my  isolated 
situation,  and  to  discover  those  who  might  help  me,  and  to 
whom  my  alliance  would  be  acceptable.  Name,  therefore, 
the  prince  or  country  where  I  might  hope  to  obtain  such  aid  ?  " 

Burgsdorf  saw  not  with  what  a  peculiarly  searching  look 


POLITICS  AND   INTRIGUES.  307 

the  Elector's  eyes  were  fixed  upon  him,  as  if  they  would  read 
the  most  secret  recesses  of  his  soul.  No,  Burgsdorf  saw  it  not, 
for  he  had  bowed  his  head,  and  seemed  to  be  deeply  pondering 
his  reply  to  the  Elector's  question.  Then,  after  a  pause,  he 
slowly  raised  his  head,  and  turned  his  face,  which  had  as- 
sumed a  thoughtful  expression,  to  the  Elector. 

"  Your  highness,"  he  said,  "  in  my  opinion  there  is  only 
one  single  power  with  whom  you  could  advantageously  ally 
yourself." 

"  Truly,  I  am  rejoiced  that  among  so  many  powers  there 
is  at  least  one  which  would  not  scorn  to  join  hands  with  the 
Elector  of  Brandenburg.  Name  this  power,  then,  Burgs- 
dorf." 

"  France,  your  highness!  Yes,  in  my  estimation  France  is 
the  only  power  which  is  interested  in  your  success.  For,  the 
more  powerful  you  become,  the  greater  will  be  your  ability 
to  lend  aid  to  France,  and  the  more  circumscribed  the  power 
of  the  German  Emperor  and  the  other  inimically  disposed 
princes.  On  the  other  hand,  France  would  be  a  very  profitable 
ally,  for  she  could  protect  your  possessions  on  the  Ehine 
against  Holland,  against  the  Elector  of  the  Palatinate,  and  all 
other  enemies,  while  you  might  be  forced  to  defend  your 
eastern  provinces  against  Poland  or  Sweden.  Already  it  is 
bruited  abroad  that  those  two  kingdoms  are  on  the  point  of 
uniting  in  an  attempt  to  deprive  you  of  your  duchy  of  Prussia; 
and  against  two  such  foes  your  highness  could  with  difficulty 
make  head.  All  the  German  princes  would,  however,  quietly 
fold  their  hands,  and  with  malicious  pleasure  see  you  despoiled 
of  a  portion  of  your  dominions.  France,  though,  would  not 
suffer  Poland  or  Sweden  to  receive  such  an  accession  of 
strength;  she  would  energetically  support  you,  with  troops 
as  well  as  subsidies,  which  in  the  exhausted  condition  of  your 
treasury  could  not  be  despised." 

"  And  you  actually  believe  that  France  would  be  inclined 
to  unite  herself  more  closely  with  me?  "  asked  the  Elector. 

"  Your  highness,  I  am  convinced  of  it,"  asseverated  Burgs- 
dorf. "  France  is  the  sworn  foe  of  the  German  Emperor,  and 
would  not  like  to  see  anything  better  than  your  alienation 
from  him.  I  think,  indeed,  that  your  highness  would  be  per- 


308  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

fectly  justified  in  this,  for  Austria  ever  looks  with  an  evil  eye 
upon  your  prosperity,  and  gladly  avails  herself  of  every  oppor- 
tunity of  humbling  you  and  stunting  your  growth.  The  Em- 
peror, to  be  sure,  behaved  right  handsomely  when  you  visited 
him  in  Prague,  but  that  was  only  because  he  had  an  especial 
object  to  attain  thereby,  and  has  at  other  times  neglected  no 
opportunity  of  lording  it  over  you.  But  if  your  highness 
league  yourself  with  France,  your  enemies  will  be  held  in 
check,  and  rich  France  will  pay  you  such  immense  subsidies 
that  your  highness  can  enlist  and  maintain  a  much  larger  army 
without  having  occasion  to  impose  new  taxes,  and  thereby  op- 
pressing and  burdening  your  own  subjects." 

"  There  is  sense  and  substance  in  your  discourse,"  said  the 
Elector  thoughtfully,  "  and  maybe  you  are  right.  Especially 
would  the  subsidies  come  in  most  fitly  and  well  suit  the  pres- 
ent state  of  my  finances,  which  are  at  a  low  ebb,  nor  do  I  know 
when  the  tide  will  flow  in.  Since  it  will  not  come  naturally, 
we  must  hasten  its  approach  by  artificial  means.  As  to  this 
French  alliance,  I  will  take  the  matter  into  consideration,  and 
also  confer  again  with  you  on  the  subject.  The  main  point 
now  is  to  devise  ways  and  means  for  relieving  our  financial  dis- 
tresses and  as  much  as  possible  obviating  them  forever.  To 
this  end  we  must  open  new  channels  of  trade,  and  use  every 
exertion  to  promote  manufacturing  and  industrial  pursuits 
in  our  midst.  For  as  they  increase,  so  will  the  ability  of  the 
country  to  stand  taxation,  and  we  can  then  with  full  right 
claim  what  is  due  for  the  support  of  our  Government.  Our 
every  aim,  then,  must  be  directed  toward  advancing  the  in- 
terests of  trade  and  facilitating  commerce.  It  will  therefore 
be  necessary  to  improve  the  routes  of  trade  by  land  and  water. 
One  great  evil  is  that  the  goods  shipped  upon  the  Oder  can 
not  be  immediately  transferred  to  the  Spree,  but  must  first 
be  unloaded  and  conveyed  there  by  land.  But  this  evil  must 
and  shall  be  remedied,  and  once  more  I  recur  to  the  plan  I 
recently  proposed  to  you,  namely,  a  canal  uniting  the  two 
rivers,  which  will  furnish  an  incalculable  convenience  for  in- 
ternal traffic." 

"  But  for  my  part,  most  gracious  sir,"  said  Burgsdorf , 
shrugging  his  shoulders,  "  I  can  only  reiterate  the  sentiments 


POLITICS  AND  INTRIGUES.  309 

which  I  have  previously  had  the  honor  of  unfolding  to  your 
highness.  Such  a  canal  would  be  of  little  use  in  a  land  where 

O 

trade  and  industry  are  so  perfectly  prostrate  as  with  us,  lor 
what  good  would  it  do  to  furnish  a  most  expensive  convenience 
to  people  who  can  not  use  it  because  they  have  nothing  to 
ship?  It  would  be  just  like  making  a  poor  man  the  present 
of  a  handsome  front  door  furnished  with  lock  and  bolt,  'and 
saying  to  him:  '  I  give  you  this  door  that  you  may  lock  up 
your  house  and  secure  your  property.  Now  build  yourself 
a  fine  house,  for  see,  the  door  is  provided  already.'  But,  most 
gracious  sir,  you  see  the  poor  man  can  not  build,  for  the  very 
reason  that  he  is  poor,  and  lacks  the  money  indispensable  for 
buying  building  materials  and  paying  the  carpenters.  Of  what 
use  to  him  is  the  door,  seeing  that  he  has  no  house,  and  of 
what  use  to  your  subjects  would  be  the  costly  canal,  seeing 
that  they  have  no  money  wherewith  to  supply  themselves  with 
ships  and  boats — no  money  for  loading  them  with  goods? 
At  home,  therefore,  it  would  do  no  good,  and  abroad  would 
serve  but  to  embroil  your  highness  with  your  neighbors.  For, 
unfortunately,  the  Oder  does  not  belong  to  yourself  solely, 
since  Stettin  pertains  to  Sweden,  and  you  would  surely  give 
umbrage  to  the  Swedes  by  the  digging  of  this  water  way."  * 

"Is  this  your  honest  and  candid  opinion?"  asked  the 
Elector,  fixing  his  eyes  steadfastly  upon  Burgsdorf. 

"  My  honest  and  candid  opinion,  your  highness.  I  give 
it  according  to  my  inmost  convictions,  nothing  moving  me 
but  regard  for  the  interests  of  my  beloved  Electoral  lord." 

"  This  time,  though,  your  own  interests  might  influence 
somewhat  your  opinion,"  said  Frederick  William,  with  a 
slight  shrug  of  the  shoulders.  "  You  might  have  calculated 
that  if  I  have  such  a  canal  built,  uniting  the  Oder  with  the 
Spree,  it  would  cut  through  your  estates,  and  force  you  to  lose 
some  of  them." 

"  Most  gracious  sir,  I  swear  that  I  had  not  the  most  remote 
thought  of  that!"  cried  Burgsdorf  passionately;  "and  it  is 
a  right  bitter  grief  to  my  old  heart  that  your  highness  should 
suspect  me  of  such  a  thing.  But  this  does  not  emanate  from 

*  Burgsdorf's  own  words.     See  Droysen,  History  of  Prussian  Poli* 
tics. 


310  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

your  own  magnanimous  heart;  my  enemies  have  been  slan- 
dering me,  for  well  would  it  please  them  so  to  blacken  my 
character  as  to  deprive  me  of  the  confidence  and  favor  of  my 
beloved  master.  If  I  had  regarded  this  plan  in  the  light  of 
my  own  interests,  I  should  have  seen  that  this  canal,  passing 
through  my  estates,  would  be  of  great  benefit  to  me.  Corn 
is  dearer  and  finds  a  better  market  at  Stettin  than  here  in  the 
interior,  and  it  would  furnish  me  means  for  transporting  my 
corn  and  selling  it  at  Stettin.  But  supposing  that  the  canal 
were  detrimental  to  my  estates,  I  think  my  whole  life  has 
proved  my  devotion  to  the  Electoral  family,  and  I  am  sure 
that  in  its  service  I  have  never  spared  blood  nor  fortune." 

"  Conrad,  Conrad,  praise  not  yourself  too  highly,"  said  the 
Elector,  threatening  him  with  his  finger.  "  You  have,  indeed, 
occasionally  spilled  a  little  of  your  blood  in  our  service,  for 
you  were  always  a  brave  soldier;  but  as  to  fortune,  of  that 
there  is  no  record.  Rather  can  it  not  be  denied  that  Conrad 
von  Burgsdorf  entered  my  father's  service  as  quite  an  incon- 
siderable and  needy  nobleman,  while  now  he  is  a  rich  and  in- 
fluential lord,  much  better  off  than  his  master.  Hush!  not  a 
word!  let  us  leave  the  discussion  of  these  matters,  for  they  are 
neither  pleasant  nor  profitable  to  talk  about.  I  am  well 
pleased  for  my  servants  to  enrich  themselves,  provided  that 
they  do  it  in  a  lawful  and  upright  manner,  remaining  con- 
stant in  loyalty  and  of  irreproachable  life." 

"  Gracious  sir,"  cried  Burgsdorf,  starting  up,  "  is  that 
meant  as  a  reproach  for  me?  Does  your  highness  suppose " 

"  I  suppose,"  interrupted  the  Elector,  "  that  you  are  a  very 
sensitive  old  chap.  It  is  as  if  you  were  suffering  from  an  open 
wound,  and  shrieked  with  pain  from  a  mere  finger  touch. 
Enjoy  your  wealth,  my  lord  high  chamberlain,  and  be  as  little 
ashamed  of  it  as  I  am  of  my  poverty.  Better  days  will  come 

yet." 

"  Your  highness,  I  am  convinced  that  they  will  come  even 
now,  if  you  draw  near  to  France.  Surely,  France  would  joy- 
fully pay  considerable  subsidies  to  so  desirable  an  ally,  and 
relieve  you  from  all  distress  and  embarrassment." 

"  At  all  events,  I  must  be  sure  of  that  first,"  said  the  Elec- 
tor thoughtfully,  "  and  the  first  overtures  must  be  made  by 


POLITICS  AND  INTRIGUES.  311 

France  to  me.  It  can  not  be  expected  of  me  that  I  should 
approach  in  humble  manner  and  solicit  the  friendship  of 
France." 

"  Your  highness,  I  am  certain  that  France  desires  noth- 
ing of  the  sort,  but  would  hasten  to  make  the  first  advances." 

"  You  are  certain  of  it?  "  repeated  the  Elector.  "  I  should 
like  to  know  whence  my  high  chamberlain  and  privy  councilor 
derives  such  exact  information  concerning  the  dispositions  of 
France?  " 

"  From  nobody — oh,  certainly  from  nobody,"  Burgsdorf 
made  haste  to  say.  "  This  is  only  my  own  humble  opinion." 

"  Let  us  speak  further  about  this  hereafter,"  said  the  Elec- 
tor, rising.  "  For  to-day  our  consultation  is  at  an  end." 

The  lord  high  chamberlain  arose.  "  Your  highness,"  he 
said,  gathering  together  his  papers  and  thrusting  them  into 
the  portfolio,  "  I  am  also  commissioned  to  deliver  a  message 
to  your  grace.  Her  royal  Highness  the  Princess  Hollandine 
of  the  Palatinate  left  my  house  this  morning  before  daybreak." 

"  Has  she  left?  "  asked  the  Elector,  with  an  air  of  lively 
interest. 

"  She  has  left  my  house,  your  highness,  and  these  were 
her  last  words:  '  Say  to  the  Elector,  my  honored  cousin,  that 
I  must  leave  your  house  without  bidding  his  highness  fare- 
well. Tell  him  I  could  bear  everything  better  than  taking 
leave  of  him,  and  would  count  no  sacrifice  as  so  severe.  Since 
the  term  for  my  sojourn  here  has  expired,  I  depart  at  once/ >J 

"Well,  and  what  else?"  asked  the  Elector,  as  Burgsdorf 
now  kept  silence. 

"  She  said  nothing  else,  your  highness,  but  entered  her 
heavily  loaded  carriage  and  drove  off,  quite  alone  and  unat- 
tended, for  she  had  dispatched  her  servants  the  evening  be- 
fore with  the  great  baggage  wagon  for  Frankfort-on-the- 
Main." 

"  And  whither  did  the  Princess  journey  herself?  " 

"  That,  most  gracious  sir,  her  royal  highness  did  not  tell 
me.  I  only  know  that  she  went  in  the  direction  of  Spandow." 

"  It  is  well,"  said  the.  Elector.  "  The  Princess  certainly 
made  a  judicious  selection,  and  fixed  upon  her  choice  with 
delicate  tact.  J  thank  you  for  having  so  hospitably  enter- 


312  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

tained  my  dear  cousin,  and  especially  for  having  preserved 
BO  inviolable  a  silence.  For  I  believe  no  one  had  an  idea  of 
the  Princess's  presence  here,  but  all  believed  that  it  was  really 
Madame  von  Kanitz  who  had  taken  up  her  lodgings  at  her 
father's  house." 

"  Your  highness,  there  was  very  little  to  talk  about,  for 
during  all  the  while  I  received  no  visitors,  and  gave  my  serv- 
ants strict  orders  to  hold  their  tongues  and  not  to  breathe  a 
word  of  my  daughter's  visit.  And  the  fellows  stand  mightily 
in  awe  of  me,  so  that  I  feel  confident  of  their  silence.  But  I 
must  own  to  your  highness  that  I  feel  very  sad  on  account  of 
the  fair  Princess's  departure,  and  my  house  looks  as  if  it  had 
suddenly  become  empty  and  desolate.  It  was  so  refreshing 
and  delightful  to  look  upon  this  beautiful,  distinguished  lady, 
and  when  she  turned  her  large  black  eyes  upon  me,  I  felt  just 
as  if  the  sun  had  suddenly  risen  and  made  everything  bright 
around  me.  And  what  a  comfort  it  was  to  hear  her  sweet 
voice  that  rang  like  music,  and  her  laugh  that  was  so  merry 
and  clear.  But  then,  I  only  felt  so  much  the  sadder  when 
she  wept  and  grieved  so  in  her  chamber  last  night." 

"What?  The  Princess  wept?"  asked  the  Elector,  with 
interest. 

"  Yes,  gracious  sir,  bitterly  and  despairingly  the  whole 
night  long.  I  could  hear  her  plainly,  for  her  sleeping  room 
was  just  over  mine,  and  sounds  are  heard  so  distinctly  in  the 
stillness  of  night.  Besides,  this  morning  it  was  plain  to  see 
from  her  reddened  eyes  that  she  had  been  weeping.  She 
took  evident  pains  to  appear  cheerful,  and  I  did  not,  of  course, 
say  that  I  had  overheard  her  weeping.  But  she  has  gone, 
and  my  house  is  once  more  lonely  and  dismal  as  ever." 

"  And  assuredly  it  is  best  that  she  has  left  your  house," 
said  the  Elector,  with  a  forced  smile.  "  It  is  plain  to  see  that 
old  Burgsdorf  has  fallen  quite  in  love  with  the  beautiful 
Princess,  and  the  old  fool  would  doubtless  have  lost  his  reason 
if  the  fairy  Wonderful  had  longer  bewitched  him  with  her 
looks." 

"  If  she  were  the  fairy  Wonderful  and  knew  how  to  charm, 
your  highness,  methinks  she  would  have  practiced  her  arts 
upon  another  than  myself,"  said  Burgsdorf,  mournfully  shak- 


POLITICS  AND  INTRIGUES.  313 

ing  his  head.  "  But  that  is  just  what  charms  one  in  her; 
she  despises  all  art;  and  I  well  know  why  the  Princess  wept 
and  wailed,  for "  • 

"  If  you  know,"  interrupted  the  Elector,  in  a  severe  tone, 
"  keep  it  to  yourself,  and  let  nobody  in  the  world  be  the  wiser 
for  it,  not  even  me.  I  have  a  wife,  and  have  nothing  to  do 
with  the  secrets  and  tears  of  any  other  woman,  and  if  the 
Electress  keeps  no  secret  from  me  I  am  content." 

"  Your  highness,  there  is  no  lady,  even  though  she  be  such 
an  angel  as  the  Electress,  who  has  not  her  secrets,  and  does 
not  keep  many  a  thing  from  her  husband's  knowledge!  "  cried 
Burgsdorf,  shrugging  his  shoulders. 

"  See,  see! "  said  the  Elector,  smiling,  "  the  old  woman- 
hater  peeps  out  from  behind  the  Princess's  adorer!  What 
know  you  of  the  Electress's  secrets?  " 

"  I,  your  highness,"  protested  Burgsdorf,  "  I  know  nothing 
of  them.  I  can  not,  alas!  boast  of  possessing  her  highness's 
favor.  I  am  nothing  but  a  plain,  old  fellow,  without  the  fine 
manners  and  'exquisite  polish  of  Lord  Marshal  Otto  von 
Schwerin,  that  perfect  man  of  the  world." 

"  There  you  are  again  with  your  enmity  to  our  lord  mar- 
shal! "  exclaimed  the  Elector.  "Would  you  again  try  to 
poison  my  mind  against  him?  " 

"  I  hate  him,  yes,  I  do  hate  him! "  cried  Burgsdorf,  with, 
impatient  violence.  "  I  despise  his  mean,  hypocritical  nature, 
his  courtly  manners,  his  fineness  of  speech  and " 

"  And  I  forbid  you  any  further  abuse  of  this  honorable 
man,"  cried  the  Elector  indignantly.  "  I  do  not  want  you  to 
be  a  courtier,  but  it  is  highly  improper  for  you  to  speak  against 
anybody  whom  we  honor  with  our  favor,  more  especially  one 
so  deserving  of  our  confidence  as  the  Marshal  Otto  von 
Schwerin.  Not  a  word  more,  Burgsdorf!  Consider  my  words 
well,  and  when  you  come  to-morrow  to  the  meeting  of  the 
privy  council  let  me  once  more  find  my  honest,  good-hearted 
old  Burgsdorf.  Go  now,  and  forget  your  melancholy  at  part- 
ing with  the  vanished  fairy. 

"  I  did  her  injustice,  then,"  said  the  Elector  thoughtfully 
to  himself,  as  soon  as  he  was  again  alone.  "  Ludovicka  has 
gone.  She  did  not  make  the  attempt  to  remain  longer  here  in 


314:  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

concealment,  and,  as  it  seems,  could  not  summon  up  sufficient 
resolution  to  meet  her  cousin  again.  Yet,  I  wish  she  could 
have  done  so,  I  wish  she  could  have  stayed  here  longer.  It  was 
so  pleasant  a  diversion  to  chat  with  her.  She  has  so  sprightly 
a  mind  and  such  a  fiery  soul.  She  has  so  intimate  an  acquaint- 
ance with  the  arts  and  sciences,  and  her  intellectual  con- 
versation is  ever  stimulating  you  to  make  the  best  use  of  your 
own  faculties,  and  to  bring  up  from  the  depths  of  the  spirit 
your  inmost  thoughts  and  clothe  them  with  words.  Ah, 
Ludovicka,Ludovicka!  verily  you  are  an  enchantress  and — 

"  And  it  is  well  that  you  are  gone,"  he  concluded,  in  a  loud 
voice,  at  the  same  time  springing  up  and  walking  to  and  fro 
with  hasty  steps.  "  Yes,  indeed,  it  is  well  that  you  have  gone, 
for  in  the  end  you  might  have  enchanted  me,  and  I  might 
yet  have  become  the  victim  of  your  blandishments.  I  will 
go  to  Louisa,"  he  continued,  after  a  short  pause.  "  Yes,  I 
will  go  to  my  dear,  good  Louisa.  Oh,  when  I  look  into  her 
thoughtful,  innocent  eyes,  then  all  these  little  insects  left  by 
the  enchantress  to  buzz  around  my  head  disappear.  For  near 
Louisa  all  is  peace,  cheerfulness,. and  repose." 

And  the  Elector  pressed  his  plumed  cap  on  his  brown  curly 
hair  and  hurriedly  left  the  room. 


II.— THE  VISIT. 

THE  Electress  Louisa  was  busy  settling  accounts  and 
counting  over  her  money  when  Frederick  William  entered  un- 
announced and  quite  unexpected.  He  had  come  softly,  noise- 
lessly opened  the  door,  and,  as  his  wife  did  not  perceive  him, 
stood  still  near  the  door  watching  her.  She  had  made  her 
toilet  for  the  noonday  meal.  The  light-blue  satin  dress 
trimmed  with  black  lace  fitted  closely  to  her  full,  fine  figure, 
and  fell  in  rich  folds  to  her  feet.  Her  luxuriant  blonde  hair, 
parted  over  the  forehead,  fell  down  in  long  curls  behind  the 
ears,  and  at  the  back  of  the  head  its  arrangement  was  per- 
fectly simple,  being  confined  only  by  a  blue  ribbon  tied  in  a 


THE  VISIT.  315 

bow  with  long  ends.  The  neck  and  plump  round  shoulders 
were  veiled  by  a  lace  kerchief  of  delicate  texture,  which  was 
secured  at  the  bosom  by  a  small  diamond  pin.  This  was  the 
only  ornament  which  the  Electress  wore  to-day,  and  yet  there 
was  something  striking  and  commanding  in  her  whole  ap- 
pearance, and  nobody  would  have  ventured  to  approach  this 
graceful,  noble  creature  without  reverence  and  respect. 

The  Elector  continued  to  gaze  upon  her  with  tender,  lov- 
ing glances.  It  was  as  if  he  would  have  this  pretty  picture 
sink  deeply  into  his  soul,  that  with  its  bright,  pure  colors  it 
might  cover  and  efface  another  and  a  dazzling  image.  He 
could  not  satisfy  himself  with  looking  upon  the  pleasing  form 
and  sweet  placid  countenance,  whose  noble  profile  he  could 
just  see. 

The  Electress  sat  before  her  writing  table.  Before  her 
lay  rolls  of  bills;  beside  them  in  separate  parcels  little  heaps 
of  gold  and  silver  pieces.  She  seemed  to  have  completed  her 
reckoning,  for  she  laid  down  the  pen,  and  raised  her  head 
from  the  papers. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  aloud  and  joyfully,  "  it  will  answer.  There 
is  again  a  right  handsome  surplus,  which  I  can  hand  over  to 
dear  Schwerin!  He  is  my  only  confidant,  and " 

"  Hey,  hey,  Electress!  what  is  that  I  hear? "  cried  the 
Elector,  advancing  farther  into  the  room. 

At  his  first  words  the  Electress  had  started,  but  still  her 
face  beamed  with  joyful  surprise;  she  sprang  from  her  seat 
and  hastened  to  meet  her  husband  with  a  tender  glance. 

"  Welcome,  my  lord  and  husband,"  she  said,  giving  him 
her  two  hands — "  welcome,  my  friend  and  best  beloved!  How 
does  it  happen  that  you  come  so  soon  to-day,  you  dear  piece 
of  impatience,"  she  continued,  throwing  both  arms  about  his 
shoulders  and  looking  into  his  face  with  eyes  sparkling  for 
joy.  "  When  I  think  that  his  Highness  the  Elector  is  sitting 
in  council  with  all  gravity,  I,  to  imitate  his  noble  example, 
seat  myself  at  my  table  and  work  and  calculate " 

"  And  calculate  that  you  have  a  handsome  surplus,"  in- 
terrupted the  Elector,  smiling — "  a  handsome  surplus,  which 
you  will  give  to  dear  Schwerin,  your  only  confidant.  Elec- 
tress, I  call  you  to  account,  I  want  to  know  the  meaning  of 
21 


316  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

this,  and  how  your  grace  can  presume  to  have  any  other  con- 
fidant than  your  husband  ?  " 

"  Ask  not  to  know,  Frederick,  for  I  can  not  tell  you," 
replied  the  Electress  coaxingly;  and  with  her  little  white 
hand  tenderly  stroking  her  husband's  manly  sunburnt  cheeks. 

"  You  can  not  tell  me,  Louisa  ?  "  asked  Frederick  William, 
and  his  smiling  face  became  a  little  graver.  "  You  actually 
have  a  secret  from*  me?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  «he  nodding,  and  looking  at  him  affectionately 
with  her  large  blue  eyes.  "  Yes,  I  have  a  secret  from  you, 
Frederick." 

"  And  Otto  von  Schwerin  knows  it?  " 

"  He  knows  it,  but  is  silent,  and  I  can  rely  upon  his  dis- 
cretion. Ask  no  more  now,  Frederick,  for  I  can  tell  you  noth- 
ing more,  a  solemn  promise  binding  me.  But  when  the  time 
comes — and  may  God  in  his  goodness  and  mercy  speed  the 
day! — then,  my  darling,  you  shall  learn  all,  and  rejoice  with 
me." 

"  But  meanwhile  Otto  von  Schwerin  remains  your  only 
confidant,"  said  the  Elector,  in  tones  somewhat  harsh. 

Louisa  Henrietta  looked  up  quite  amazed.  "  How  strange- 
ly you  said  that,  and  why  do  you  look  so  grave  all  at  once  ?  " 
she  asked. 

"  Well,  Electress,  I  own  that  I  do  think  it  somewhat  sin- 
gular that  there  are  secrets  which  I  may  not  learn  from  you, 
but  which,  nevertheless,  you  share  with  Otto  von  Schwerin. 
You  assume,  then,  that  I  am  of  a  gentle,  quiet  temperament, 
and  not  at  all  capable  of  being  jealous?  " 

The  Electress  started,  and  a  glowing  blush  suffused  her 
cheeks. 

"Jealous?"  she  said,  astonished — "could  you  be  jeal- 
ous?" 

"And  why  not,  pray?"  asked  the  Elector,  a  little  pro- 
voked. "  You  keep  secrets  from  me  which  another  man 
knows.  You  intrust  Herr  Otto  von  Schwerin  with  things 
which  you  refuse  to  tell  me.  I  ask  you,  Electress,  why  should 
I  not  be  jealous?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you  why,  Elector,"  replied  the  Electress  with 
gentle  dignity,  while  she  drew  back  a  step  and  contemplated 


THE    VISIT.  317 

her  husband  with  sorrowful  looks — "  I  will  tell  you  why  you 
should  not  be  jealous:  Because  you  thereby  grieve  and  insult 
your  wife — because  you  thereby  impugn  her  virtue,  her  mod- 
esty, and,  what  is  worse,  doubt  her  love.  If  you  were  jealous, 
it  would  prove  that  you  regard  her  as  a  hypocrite,  pretend- 
ing to  a  love  she  does  not  feel,  one  light-minded  enough  to 
forget  her  bounden  duties  and  her  plighted  troth." 

"  But,  Louisa,  you  take  the  thing  too  seriously,"  said 
Frederick  William,  whose  momentary  irritation  had  already 
vanished.  "  Good  heavens!  is  it  not  very  natural  that  a  man 
who  loves  his  wife  should  be  jealous  of  every  mark  of  favor 
which  she  bestows  upon  another?  Is  it  not  even  very  flat- 
tering to  a  lady  who  has  been  already  married  six  years  that 
her  husband  is  still  jealous  of  her?  " 

"  No,  it  is  not  flattering,  but  painful,"  sorrowfully  replied 
the  Electress.  "  Wedded  love  is  like  a  holy  gospel,  which  we 
must  not  read  with  doubting  or  mocking  thoughts,  but  with 
pious  confidence  and  a  firm  belief  in  its  truth." 

"  And  I  do,  Louisa,  indeed  I  do,"  said  the  Elector  cordially, 
offering  his  hand  to  his  wife.  "  I  have  a  firm,  unshaken  con- 
fidence in  you.  I  say  with  an  abiding,  joyful  conviction  that 
you  are  my  better  self,  and  that  what  you  do  is  good,  and  Avhat 
you  wish  is  right.  For  never,  that  I  know,  will  your  heart  be- 
tray its  trust — never  will  Louisa  Henrietta  cease  to  love  her 
husband.  Not  that  he  is  at  all  deserving  of  this  love;  on  the 
contrary,  he  is  a  right  churlish  and  wicked  fellow,  in  his  un- 
justifiable passionateness  occasionally  mistaking  heaven  itself 
for  hell  and  the  angel  at  his  side  for  an  ordinary  worldly 
woman.  But  as  soon  as  passion  has  flown  away  and  his  eye 
again  is  clouded,  he  recognizes  his  error,  humbly  and  peni- 
tently suing  for  pardon.  Louisa,  will  you  be  merciful  in- 
stead of  just?  Will  you  forgive  your  hasty,  impetuous  hus- 
band?" 

The  Elector  bent  one  knee  before  his  wife,  and  looked 
up  at  her  with  folded  hands  and  pleading  looks.  The  Elec- 
tress made  haste  to  hold  out  her  hand  and  raise  him  with 
gentle  force. 

"  Come,  my  husband,"  she  said,  nodding  kindly,  "  sit  down 
at  my  writing  table,  and  permit  me  to  lay  before  you  a  few 


318  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

papers  and  documents.  You  shall  now  know  the  secret,  and 
I  will  impart  something  to  you  that " 

"  Louisa,"  quickly  interposed  the  Elector,  "  I  demand  as 
a  proof  of  your  forgiveness  that  you  do  not  ask  me  to  look 
at  one  of  these  papers  or  documents,  or  make  me  acquainted 
with  your  secret.  I  do  not  want  to  know  it,  and  you  would 
really  mortify  me  by  insisting  upon  telling  me,  for  then  I 
should  feel  that  you  did  not  really  forgive  me,  but  were  still 
angry  with  me." 

"  I  am  no  longer  angry  with  you,  Frederick,"  said  the 
Electress  fondly,  "  and  I  thank  you  heartily  for  being  con- 
tent without  knowing  my  secret,  for  there  is  one  thing  which 
weighs  upon  my  heart — a  solemn  promise  made  in  a  trying 
hour,  and " 

"  Hush,  hush !  "  cried  the  Elector,  "  would  you  now  grow 
talkative  and  let  your  secret  out  ?  I  will  not  hear  a  word  about 
it,  my  Louisa,  and  not  a  word  more  shall  be  said  on  the  sub- 
ject. But  I  would  like  to  discuss  one  point  with  the  Electress, 
since  her  grace  seems  to  consider  jealousy  not  only  as  wrong 
but  as  injurious.  I  rather  think  that  there  can  be  no  true 
love  without  jealousy,  and  that  only  cold,  indifferent  hearts 
or  arrogant  fools  inflated  with  their  own  self-importance  are 
incapable  of  jealousy.  I,  my  sweetest,  suffered  such  severe 
qualms  of  this  baneful  malady  in  the  Chinese  Pavilion  a  cer- 
tain evening  at  The  Hague  that  I  verily  believe  a  little  of  this 
poison  still  lurks  within  my  heart,  and  that  you  will  proba- 
bly never  be  able  to  eradicate  it.  And  you,  Louisa,  now 
make  candid  confession.  Tell  me,  have  you  never  been  jeal- 
ous?" 

"  If  you  demand  of  me  a  candid  answer,"  replied  the  Elec- 
tress, with  downcast  eyes,  "  well,  then,  I  must  own  that  there 
have  been  times  when  I  have  been  right  jealous,  when  jealousy 
pierced  my  heart  like  a  dagger  and  left  me  no  repose  night 
or  day.  But,  my  grand  inquisitor  of  a  husband,  that  was  be- 
fore my  marriage,  long  before,  for  when  you  told  me  that 
evening  at  the  Chinese  Pavilion  that  you  loved  me,  all  at  once 
the  dagger  fell  at  my  feet,  and  my  heart  was  healed  and  full 
of  happiness  and  bliss." 

"  And  has  it  remained  so  ever  since,  Louisa?  "  asked  the 


THE  VISIT.  319 

Elector,  with  agitation.  "  Have  you  never  been  jealous 
again?  " 

The  Electress  did  not  reply  immediately,  but  with  a  little 
embarrassment  looked  down  upon  the  floor.  Then  she  slowly 
raised  her  head  once  more  and  with  a  soft  smile  met  the  Elec- 
tor's eye,  which  was  steadfastly  fixed  upon  her.  "  I  have  been 
jealous  since  then,  too,  but  not  of  a  woman." 

"Not  of  a  woman?  Of  whom  else,  then,  my  little  sim- 
pleton?" 

"  I  will  make  confession  to  you,  Frederick,  for  you  re- 
quested me  to  do  so  candidly  and  honestly.  I  have  been  and 
still  am  jealous  of " 

"Well,  why  do  you  hesitate,  Louisa?  Speak  out.  Name 
your  rival!  " 

"  Frederick,  it  is  your  lord  high  chamberlain,  Conrad  von 
Burgsdorf." 

The  Elector  started  and  closely  scrutinized  the  Electress's 
face.  Could  her  words  have  a  hidden  meaning?  Did  Louisa 
in  this  way  intend  to  give  him  to  understand  that  she  knew 
who  was  the  lady  that  had  been  staying  at  Burgsdorf 's  house? 
But  no;  the  Electress's  countenance  was  artless  and  open; 
no  trace  of  bitterness  or  desperate  earnestness  was  discernible 
there;  and  with  soft,  timid  voice  she  continued:  "  Yes,  Fred- 
erick, I  owe  to  you  that  I  am  jealous  of  this  man,  and,  how- 
ever much  I  struggle  against  it,  and  however  often  I  repeat 
to  myself  that  it  is  wrong,  yea,  even  a  crime,  I  can  not  over- 
come my  aversion  to  him,  and  I  confess  that  it  right  often 
makes  me  unhappy  and  always  angry  with  myself." 

"Poor  child!  "  said  the  Elector,  drawing  near  to  his  wife 
and  pressing  her  head  against  his  breast,  as  if  he  would  there 
cradle  her  and  shelter  her  from  all  griefs — "  poor  child!  And 
why  do  you  dislike  our  old  Burgsdorf  so  much,  and  what  is  it 
that  you  so  particularly  object  to  in  him?  " 

"  I  dislike  his  coarse  nature,  his  uncouth  manners!  "  cried 
the  Electress  with  unwonted  vehemence.  "  He  boasts  of  his 
evil  doings,  and  shamelessly  glories  in  his  excesses — his  drink- 
ing and  his  life  of  dissipation.  At  the  same  time  that  he  prides 
himself  on  these  things  he  ridicules  good  manners  and  a  more 
refined  deportment,  seeking  to  bring  derision  upon  those 


320  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

who  are  not  like  himself,  who  do  not  beat  on  the  table  with 
their  fists,  curse,  and  bet.  He  is  ever  vaunting  his  mad  feats 
in  drinking  as  most  commendable  proofs  of  his  cleverness." 

"  True,"  said  the  Elector,  smiling,  "  he  has  bad  manners 
and  is  no  fine  gentleman,  but  you  must  consider  that  he  is  a 
man  of  an  earlier  period,  when  this  court  was  not  particularly 
refined.  He  neither  saw  nor  heard  of  anything  better  in  his 
youthful  days,  and  we  must  make  allowances  for  him  if  in  old 
age  he  preserves  the  rude  manners  which  he  learned  in  his 
youth." 

"  It  is  just  that  which  provokes  me  so  much  in  him!  "  cried 
the  Electress,  with  warmth.  "  That  is  not  his  case,  it  is  not 
from  ignorance,  but  through  design,  that  he  exhibits  so  much 
rudeness  and  want  of  polish.  He  thereby  lays  claim  to  pecul- 
iar privileges,  and,  instead  of  being  ashamed  of  his  offenses 
against  good  breeding,  makes  a  boast  of  them,  and  exhorts 
the  young  noblemen  to  imitate  his  example  and  adhere  to  the 
old  malpractices,  which  he  terms  the  good  old  ways.  And  all 
this,"  continued  the  Electress,  waxing  still  warmer — "  all  this 
I  could  pardon  in  him  and  overlook,  if  I  could  only  regard 
him  as  an  honest  man  and  a  faithful  servant  to  his  master." 

"  What,  Louisa  ?  "  asked  the  Elector.  "  You,  who  are 
always  so  gentle  and  indulgent,  ever  seeking  to  palliate  men's 
faults,  would  you  accuse  and  cast  aspersions  upon  old  Conrad 
von  Burgsdorf,  who  for  more  than  twenty  years  has  been  the 
faithful  servant  of  our  house  and  family?  " 

"  God  forgive  my  sin  if  I  do  him  injustice,"  continued 
the  Electress,  "  but  I  can  not  persuade  myself  that  he  is  really 
a  devoted  servant  of  his  Elector.  On  the  other  hand,  I  am 
convinced  that  he  has  an  eye  only  for  his  own  interests,  and 
that  all  he  does  is  only  calculated  to  gratify  his  own  ambition 
and  avarice." 

"  It  is  very  true,"  said  the  Elector  thoughtfully,  "  you  have 
exactly  hit  upon  his  weak  points,  and  I  admire  your  quick- 
sightedness.  Yes,  it  is  not  to  be  denied  that  Burgsdorf  is  both 
an  ambitious  and  an  avaricious  man,  of  which,  alas!  we  have 
had  manifold  experiences.  Often  has  he  testified  chagrin  and 
pique  if  we  elevated  any  other  person  to  rank  or  dignity,  and 
has  given  us  such  uncomfortable  evidence  of  his  ill  humor  and 


THE  VISIT.  321 

discontent  that,  in  order  to  coax  him  back  to  his  wonted  good 
humor,  we  have  felt  constrained  to  propitiate  him  with  rich 
presents.  How  often,  too,  has  he  returned  from  missions  to 
foreign  courts  with  immense  sums  of  money,  which  it  was 
possible  that  he  had  obtained  by  way  of  reward  or  bribery."  * 

"  And  still,  Frederick! "  cried  the .  Electress,  eagerly, 
"  still,  although  you  know  all  that,  you  confide  in  him,  and  at- 
tach value  to  his  counsels  and  judgment!  " 

"  I  have  hitherto  done  so  because,  in  spite  of  all  his  faults 
and  weaknesses,  I  was  convinced  of  his  devotion  and  fidelity, 
and  because  he  belonged  to  the  inventory  which  I  had  in- 
herited from  my  father.  Moreover,  Burgsdorf  is  a  clever 
business  man,  a  rapid  worker,  accomplishing  more  in  a  day 
than  the  rest  of  the  privy  councilors  in  two.  I  can  rely  upon 
an  abstract  or  report  made  by  him,  and  there  is  a  large  party 
here  in  the  Mark  who  follow  wherever  he  leads  and  vote  just 
as  Burgsdorf  chooses.  I  must  show  indulgence  to  the  Sover- 
eign States  and  yield  to  their  prejudices,  for  they  are  often 
obstinate  and  untoward,  and  then  I  stand  in  need  of  such  a 
mediator  as  Burgsdorf." 

"  But  who  knows  how  often  he  complicates  matters  in- 
stead of  acting  as  mediator!  "  exclaimed  the  Electress  quickly 
— "  how  often,  by  his  haughty,  supercilious  manners,  he  sows 
discord  merely  to  boast  afterward  that  it  was  he  who  brought 
about  a  reconciliation!  Forgive  me,  Frederick,  for  censuring 
your  favorite  so  severely,  for  that  he  is  your  favorite  I  well 
know.  He  has  more  influence  over  you  than  any  one  else, 
more  than  my  mother  even,  to  say  nothing  of  myself!  " 

"Why!"  cried  Frederick  William,  "it  seems  from  your 
discourse  that  very  many  have  influence  over  me,  and  that 
the  Elector  is  dependent  for  his  judgment  and  opinions  upon 
many  different  voices.  And  assuredly  I  have  given  you  cause 
to  entertain  such  views.  It  belongs  to  my  nature  as  well  as 
principles  to  mistrust  my  own  judgment,  and  gladly  barken 
to  what  my  councilors  and  other  experienced  persons  say  upon 
subjects  which  engage  my  attention.  I  also  often  require  my 
privy  councilors  to  give  me  their  views  upon  knotty  political 
questions  in  writing.  I  find  this  a  very  useful  means  of  find- 

*  Vide  Droysen,  History  of  Prussian  Politics,  vol.  iii,  part  3,  p.  68. 


322  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

ing  out  the  individual  sentiments  of  each,  and  making  him 
give  a  clear  statement  of  his  views.  Besides,  one  may  learn 
of  everybody,  and  I  am  a  pupil  eager  to  improve,  that  I  may 
hereafter  become  an  adept  in  statesmanship,  and  rule  my 
country  and  people  in  accordance  with  my  own  principles 
and  understanding.  But  whoever  thinks  that  I  may  be  made 
the  creature  of  foreign  domination  is  greatly  mistaken,  and 
will  hereafter  find  out  that  he  has  deceived  himself  with  regard 
to  my  character.  It  is  true  that  hitherto  Burgsdorf  has  occu- 
pied a  very  influential  and  important  position  near  my  person. 
He  is  my  Prime  Minister,  and  I  am  attached  to  him  from 
habit  and  for  the  sake  of  old  memories.  He  carried  me  in 
his  arms  when  I  was  yet  a  child,  fondling  and  playing  with 
me  like  a  father;  he  became  afterward  my  instructor  in  rid- 
ing, fencing,  and  other  knightly  exercises,  and  always  pro- 
tected me  against  my  father's  favorite,  the  wicked  Count 
Schwarzenberg.  To  him,  Conrad  von  Burgsdorf,  I  owe  it 
that  I  was  sent  to  Holland  to  prosecute  my  studies.  He  car- 
ried the  point  with  my  father  in  opposition  to  Schwarzenberg, 
who  would  have  preferred  bringing  me  up  here  in  ignorance 
and  dependence,  or  would  have  found  some  other  means  of 
thrusting  me  aside.  As  far  back  as  my  memory  reaches  Burgs- 
dorf has  always  stood  to  me  in  the  relation  of  a  fatherly  friend, 
which  would  but  make  bitterer  now  the  pain  of  discovering 
him  to  be  a  traitor  and  unworthy  of  my  confidence.  But  be- 
lieve me  that  I  have  ever  an  open  eye  and  an  attentive  ear, 
and  that,  however  careless  I  may  at  times  appear,  nothing 
escapes  me.  And  when  I  must,  I  shall  not  hesitate  to  remem- 
ber that  precept  of  holy  writ,  '  If  thine  eye  offend  thee,  pluck 
it  out  and  cast  it  from  thee.'  Trust  me,  I  should  act  accord- 
ingly, although  I  can  not  conceal  that  it  would  be  a  trying 
experience  through  which  to  pass,  and  like  tearing  up  by  the 
roots  a  plant  which  I  had  nurtured  and  tended  with  loving 
care.  And  now,  my  dearest  Louisa,  since  I  have  revealed  to 
you  right  minutely  and  exactly  my  most  secret  thoughts  and 
feelings,  be  once  more  of  glad  heart  and  look  forward  cour- 
ageously to  whatever  may  come.  But  be  assured  of  this,  that 
you  have  no  cause  to  be  jealous  of  Burgsdorf,  and  that  he 
would  never  dare  to  direct  the  venom  of  his  tongue  against 


THE  VISIT.  323 

my  best  beloved,  for  at  that  selfsame  moment  he  were  a  lost 
man,  and  he  is  much  too  prudent  not  to  know  that,  and  to  act 
accordingly.  Give  me  your  hand,  Louisa,  and  let  us  be  one  in 
heart,  and  feel  mutually  that  no  human  being  has  power  to 
cloud  the  clear  sky  of  our  happiness  or  shake  our  confidence  in 
and  love  for  one  another  by  base  whispers  and  insinuations." 

"  Here  is  my  hand,  Frederick,"  cried  the  Electress,  with 
radiant  looks.  "  Joyfully  and  faithfully  will  I  stand  at  your 
side  in  evil  as  well  as  in  good  report.  With  your  love  there  is 
nothing  that  I  could  not  bear;  and,"  she  continued,  with  agi- 
tated voice  and  blanching  cheek,  "  if  you  forgive  me  for  bring- 
ing to  your  house  no  heir,  to  your  fatherly  heart  no  son,  I,  too, 
will  acquiesce  and  leave  it  with  God  either  to  bless  me  and 
grant  my  fervent  wishes  or  to  refuse  and  let  me  wither  away 
as  a  decaying  tree,  which  bears  neither  blossom  nor  fruit." 

"  A  bad  and  inapt  comparison,  Louisa!  "  cried  the  Elector, 
smiling.  "  Lift  up  your  head,  my  dearest,  look  me  right  stead- 
ily in  the  eyes,  and  say  what  you  see  reflected  in  them." 

"  My  own  image,  as  clearly  as  in  a  mirror,"  said  the  Elec- 
tress, smiling. 

"Well,  say  does  this  image  resemble  a  decaying  tree?  Is 
it  not  rather  a  beautiful  flower,  that  may  bloom  for  many  a 
summer  day  without  anxiety  as  to  whether  it  will  bring  forth 
fruit  in  autumn?  " 

"  My  hope  is  in  God,"  said  Louisa,  piously  folding  her 
hands  together,  "  and  Jesus  is  my  trust." 

At  this  instant  the  door  opened  and  the  Electress's  cham- 
berlain entered. 

"  I  beg  pardon,  your  highness,"  he  said,  "  for  venturing  to 
disturb  you.  But  a  distinguished  visitor  has  just  arrived  and 
desires  to  be  conducted  to  your  highness  without  delay." 

"  Who  is  it?  "  asked  the  Electress  eagerly.  "  0  Frederick! 
it  is  possible  that  my  mother  has  come  at  last,  and  means  to 
surprise  us!  Come,  come,  let  us  hasten  to  meet  her!  " 

The  Electress  took  her  husband's  arm  and  wished  to  go 
quickly  forward.  But  Frederick  William  detained  her.  "  Let 
us  hear  more  first,  Electress.  Say,  Krokow,  who  is  the  vis- 
itor? " 

"  Most  gracious  sir,  I  do  not  know.    It  is  a  lady,  tolerably 


324  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

young  and  very  pretty,  with  fiery  black  eyes  and  black  hair. 
She  drove  up  to  the  castle  in  a  great  traveling  carriage,  with 
much  baggage  but  few  servants.  The  porter  summoned  me, 
and  when  I  took  the  liberty  of  asking  the  lady  her  name,  she 
replied  that  it  did  not  at  all  concern  me  to  know  it.  I  must 
only  conduct  her  to  her  grace  with  all  privacy.  I  did  not  know 
what  reply  to  make,  and  was  quite  at  a  loss  what  to  do.  But 
the  lady  required  me  to  give  her  my  arm  and  help  her  to  alight, 
and  I  could  do  nothing  less  than  obey.  Then  she  reiterated 
her  orders  to  be  led  forthwith  to  her  highness,  and  when  I 
still  stood  hesitating,  she  crossed  the  vestibule  and  mounted 
the  great  staircase  before  me,  as  if  she  were  perfectly  ac- 
quainted with  the  place."  , 

"  And  here  I  am!  "  said  a  clear,  laughing  voice  behind 
them;  and  when  the  Electress  turned  round,  she  saw  stand- 
ing in  the  open  door  a  lady  of  tall,  commanding  stature,  clad 
in  a  simple  black  traveling  dress.  She  had  thrown  back  her 
veil,  displaying  a  bright  smiling  countenance  with  glowing 
black  eyes.  The  Electress  contemplated  the  fair  stranger  with 
embarrassed  mien,  and  in  her  confusion  did  not  think  of  going 
to  meet  her.  "  Yes,  here  I  am,"  repeated  the  lady,  "  and  I 
now  request  my  dear  cousin  Louisa  Henrietta  either  to  bid 
me  welcome  or  dismiss  me  immediately,  for  my  carriage  still 
stands  in  the  yard  below,  and  I  shall  depart  without  delay  if 
my  visit  is  at  all  unpleasant  to  you." 

"  I  am  pleased,  certainly,"  said  the  Electress,  "  but " 

"  But  you  do  not  know,  ma  chere  cousine,  who  I  am.  And 
there  stands  my  other  dear  cousin,  looking  as  much  bewildered 
and  perplexed  as  if  he  had  never  seen  me  in  his  life.  Yes, 
indeed,  many  years  have  elapsed  since  we  saw  each  other  for 
the  last  time,  Elector  Frederick  William.  You  were  then  a 
little,  enthusiastic  Electoral  Prince  and  I  a  foolish,  passionate 
young  girl.  But,  dear  me,  have  I  actually  altered  so  dread- 
fully since  then  that  neither  of  you  recognizes  me?  Louisa, 
have  you  forgotten  my  riding  you  in  the  little  carriage  drawn 
by  two  goats  with  gilded  horns  in  the  grounds  at  Bosch? 
and " 

"It  is  Cousin  Ludovicka,"  exclaimed  the  Electress,  joy- 
fully— "yes,  to  be  sure,  it  is  Cousin  Ludovicka  Hollandine! " 


THE  VISIT.  325 

"  It  is  the  lost  child  returning  home  to  her  family!  "  cried 
the  Princess.  Extending  both  arms  to  the  Electress,  she  asked 
with  gushing  tears:  "  Will  you  receive  the  lost  as  one  found 
again,  Louisa?  Shall  I  no  longer  have  to  wander  an  exile  in 
a  foreign  land  ?  " 

"  No,  that  you  shall  not,  Ludovicka.  Welcome,  heartily 
welcome!  "  cried  the  Electress,  who  took  the  Princess  in  her 
arms  and  imprinted  a  warm  kiss  upon  her  lips. 

Disconcerted  and  irresolute,  the  Elector  stood  in  the  hack- 
ground,  gazing  upon  the  lovely  group.  His  impulse  was  to 
snatch  his  wife  from  the  Princess's  embrace,  to  say  to  her: 
"  She  is  an  intriguer!  She  deceives  you,  Louisa!  "  And  yet, 
had  he  a  right  to  do  so?  Had  he  not  given  the  Princess  his 
solemn  promise  not  to  betray  to  anybody  in  the  world  the 
secret  of  her  sojourn  at  Burgsdorf's?  Had  he  not  in  return 
stipulated  that  Ludovicka  should  either  take  her  departure  in 
eight  days  or  present  herself  openly  before  her  cousin,  the 
Electress?  And  had  not  Ludovicka  now  complied  with  his 
conditions?  Had  she  not  set  off  at  the  expiration  of  the  eight 
days  and  now  come  voluntarily  to  fulfill  her  part  of  the  en- 
gagement? Must  he  not,  therefore,  also  keep  his  word  and 
guard  her  secret  ?  Would  it  not  be  a  breach  of  faith  to  betray 
her  now,  when  she  came  with  all  humility  to  place  herself 
under  her  cousin's  protection?  Oh!  he  well  knew  what  it  had 
cost  that  proud,  stubborn  heart  to  gain  such  a  victory  over 
self,  with  what  struggles  she  had  wrung  this  sacrifice  from 
her  pride.  Old  Burgsdorf  had  told  him  how  she  had  wept  the 
livelong  night,  and  how  sad  she  had  been  when  early  this 
morning  she  had  bidden  him  farewell.  No,  it  was  impossible. 
He  durst  not  betray  her.  He  durst  not  be  false  to  his  oath. 
She  had  fulfilled  all  requirements,  and  he  had  no  right  to 
abuse  her  confidence.  She  was  there,  and  he  could  not  drive 
her  from  his  house  after  the  Electress  had  bidden  her  welcome. 

As  soon  as  the  Elector  had  come  to  this  conclusion  he 
stepped  forward  and  slowly  approached  the  two  cousins,  who 
stood  hand  in  hand,  conversing  in  an  undertone. 

"Let  me  go,  Louisa,"  the  Princess  was  just  whispering. 
"  You  see  he  will  not  speak  to  me;  it  is  disagreeable  for  him 
to  see  me  here;  let  me  go." 


32G  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

And  Ludovicka  made  a  movement  as  if  to  turn  away.  But 
the  Electress  held  her  fast,  and  with  pleading  looks  turned 
to  her  husband. 

"  Frederick,"  she  said,  "  Ludovicka  wants  to  go  away,  be- 
cause you  do  not  bid  her  welcome.  I  have,  however,  begged 
her  to  stay." 

"  And  you  were  right  to  do  so,  my  dear  Louisa,"  cried  the 
Elector  pleasantly,  at  the  same  time  quickening  his  pace  and 
offering  his  hand  to  the  Princess.  "  Welcome,  Princess  Ludo- 
vicka Hollandine,"  he  said,  almost  with  solemnity.  "  May 
your  going  out  and  coming  in  be  blessed  to  this  house!  My 
well-beloved  wife  has  bidden  you  welcome.  She  has  such  a 
true,  pious  disposition  she  can  not  be  recreant  to  the  religion 
of  past  memories,  but  preserves  it  sacred  and  pure  in  the  sanc- 
tuary of  her  breast.  Let  us  two,  then,  follow  her  fine  example, 
and  dedicate  ourselves  with  pious  and  earnest  feelings  to  the 
same  faith,  and  keep  it  with  truth  and  honesty  so  long  as  we 
live." 

"  Yes,  that  we  will!  "  cried  Ludovicka,  with  an  appearance 
of  deep  emotion.  "  Permit  me  to  tarry  with  you  a  few  days, 
and  prepare  myself  for  the  great  step  which  I  have  in  view. 
I  count  upon  you  for  aid  in  this,  Louisa.  I  hope  that  your 
soft,  tender  heart  will  open  to  me,  and  give  me  a  little  love 
and  sympathy,  for  if  so,  then  you  can  intercede  for  me  with 
my  mother  and  brothers  and  sisters,  that  they  may  open  their 
arms  to  me  and  once  more  take  me  to  their  hearts." 

"  Would  you  return  to  The  Hague?  To  our  family?  " 
asked  the  Electress,  with  a  somewhat  embarrassed  mien,  for 
she  well  knew  how  little  sympathy  the  Princess  Ludovicka 
would  find  at  The  Hague,  how  irksome  her  presence  would 
be  to  Princess  Amelia,  how  unseasonable  even  to  her  own 
mother. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  Princess,  "  I  would  go  to  my  friends, 
but  not  to  remain  with  them.  I  only  wish  to  make  my  peace 
with  them  and  my  own  heart  before  saying  farewell  to  the 
world  forever.  This,  Louisa,  is  my  last  experience  of  the 
world,  my  last  earthly  business,  and  when  it  is  accomplished, 
when  I  have  become  reconciled  to  my  family,  received  my 
mother's  blessing  and  the  salutation  of  peace  from  all  my  dear 


THE  VISIT.  327 

ones,  then  will  my  pilgrimage  be  ended,  and  I  shall  return 
to  France  to  sever  all  worldly  ties  by  going  into  a  convent. 
Sir  Elector,"  continued  the  Princess,  turning  with  a  sad  smile 
to  Frederick  William,  "  I  would  like  to  make  a  confession  to 
my  dear  cousin,  your  wife,  this  very  hour,  the  first  of  our 
meeting.  She  shall  learn  from  me  what  you  apparently  in 
the  chivalry  of  your  noble  nature  have  concealed  from  her. 
For  I  know  that  you  can  never  have  been  guilty  of  the  crime 
of  betraying  a  lady's  secret.  Am  I  not  right,  cousin? — you 
have  not  done  and  would  not  do  such  a  thing?  " 

The  Elector  well  understood  the  hidden  meaning  of  her 
question,  and  met  the  Princess's  inquiring  glance  with  firm 
and  tranquil  aspect. 

"  Your  confidence  is  not  misplaced,"  he  said. 

The  Princess  nodded  her  head  slightly,  as  if  in  thanks. 

"  Then  you  shall  learn  my  secret  from  myself,  Louisa," 
she  said,  seizing  the  Electress's  hand  and  drawing  her  tenderly 
toward  herself.  "  I  will  tell  you  all,  cousin;  I  would  confess 
to  you!  There  was  a  time,  Louisa — ah!  long  since  vanished! 
— when  I  was  a  young,  innocent,  and  beautiful  girl,  such  as 
you  were  when  your  husband  married  you.  Then  came  to  The 
Hague  the  Electoral  Prince  of  Brandenburg.  You  do  not 
know  it,  for  you  were  then  nothing  but  a  child." 

"  Oh,  but  I  do  know,"  said  the  Electress,  casting  a  smiling 
glance  at  her  husband.  "  I  know  it  very  well,  for,  child  as  I 
was,  I  learned  even  then  to  love  my  cousin,  and  from  that  time 
he  became  the  ideal  of  my  imagination." 

"  If  you  as  a  child  loved  him,"  continued  the  Princess, 
"  you  may  imagine  that  I,  the  ardent  imaginative  girl  of  six- 
teen— I  loved  him,  and  longed  for  nothing  so  much  as  to  be- 
long to  him,  to  become  his  wife.  Perhaps  it  was  my  love  which 
attracted  him  as  the  magnet  does  the  steel;  enough,  we  loved 
one  another,  and  were  to  have  been  married.  But  I  was  right 
in  saying  that  my  love  was  the  stronger,  that  it  was  like  the 
magnet  which  attracts  the  steel.  At  the  decisive  moment  the 
magnet  suddenly  lost  its  power  and  the  steel  dropped  off.  He 
rejected  me." 

"  Frederick! "  cried  the  Electress,  and  in  spite  of  herself 
a  ray  as  of  sunshine  flitted  across  her  face — "  Frederick,  is  that 


328  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

true?  Did  you  have  the  dreadful  courage  to  reject  your  beau- 
tiful, fascinating  cousin?" 

"  Yes,"  quickly  resumed  the  Princess,  without  allowing  the 
Elector  time  to  answer — "  yes,  he  did  have  that  dreadful  cour- 
age, and  only  look  at  him  now,  Louisa,  I  verily  believe  he  is 
glad  of  it  to-day.  Well,  I  can  hardly  blame  him,  for  without 
that  courage  he  would  not  be  now  the  husband  of  my  sweet 
cousin  Louisa  Henrietta.  Yes,  he  scorned  me;  he  did  not 
love  me  ardently,  passionately,  as  I  chose  to  be  loved.  It 
came  to  an  explanation,  to  a  rupture,  and  we  parted.  I  with 
hatred  and  indignation  rankling  in  my  heart,  he  with  coolness 
and  indifference." 

"  And  I,  my  dear  Ludovicka,"  said  the  Electress,  with  fer- 
vor— "  I  beg  your  pardon  for  the  Electoral  Prince,  pardon  for 
his  cruelty  and  fickleness,  for " 

"  Not  so  fast,  Electress,"  interposed  her  husband,  smiling. 
"  Beg  not  too  much.  The  Princess  has  forgotten  one  thing, 
and,  since  she  is  disposed  to  confess,  let  her  tell  all,  that  I  may 
not  appear  to  you  in  the  light  of  a  frivolous,  inconstant  boy. 
Princess  Ludovicka,  you  told  the  Electress  that  I  rejected 
your  hand,  will  you  have  the  goodness  to  explain  the  circum- 
stances which  induced  me  to  take  such  a  step?  " 

"  Why,  yes,"  replied  the  Princess;  "  I  forgot  that.  We 
could  not  obtain  our  parent's  consent  to  our  union.  We  would 
have  been  therefore  compelled  to  abscond  and  marry  in  secret. 
Now,  unexpected  aid  was  proffered.  The  French  ambassa- 
dor offered  us,  in  his  Sovereign's  name,  an  asylum  upon  French 
soil;  he  declared  himself  ready  to  pay  considerable  subsidies 
to  the  Electoral  Prince  provided  that  the  latter  would  pledge 
himself  to  remain  the  friend  and  ally  of  the  King  of  France 
when  he  should  become  Elector." 

"  Say,  rather,  to  become  the  servant,  the  vassal  of  France!  " 
cried  the  Elector.  "  This  I  could  not,  durst  not  consent  to. 
My  political  conscience  revolted  against  it  and  made  silent 
the  feelings  of  my  heart,  and  I  must  acknowledge  that  I  do 
not  repent  of  it  to-day,  but  would  act  just  as  I  did  then." 

"  You  see,  cousin,"  said  Ludovicka,  smiling,  "  he  does  not 
repent;  he  is  incorrigible.  And,  indeed,  he  has  more  cause 
to  be  content  with  his  course  to-day  than  at  that  time,  for 


THE  VISIT.  329 

he  now  sees  you  at  my  side.  You  are  young  and  beautiful, 
you  are  a  lovely,  fascinating  creature,  and  I—  Cousin,  you 
may  now  give  me  your  hand  and  with  a  dutiful  kiss  ask  pardon 
for  your  earlier  offenses,  without  giving  my  fair  cousin  the 
least  ground  for  being  jealous!  " 

"No!"  cried  the  Electress,  with  a  smiling  glance  at  her 
husband — "  no,  I  am  not  jealous!  Come,  Frederick,  accept 
our  dear  cousin's  overture  toward  a  reconciliation,  kiss  her 
hand,  and  beg  her  to  stay  with  us  as  long  as  she  may  find  it 
agreeable  so  to  do.  Tell  her  that  we  feel  glad  of  the  oppor- 
tunity of  entertaining  so  beloved  a  guest." 

"  The  Princess  has  just  heard  this  from  your  lips,  sound- 
ing much  sweeter  and  better  than  from  mine,"  replied  the 
Elector.  But  he  took  the  hand  held  out  to  him  by  the  Prin- 
cess, and  pressed  it  to  his  lips. 

"  And  now,"  said  the  Electress  cheerfully — "  now  that  all 
has  been  explained  and  cleared  up,  permit  me,  my  dear  cousin, 
to  make  a  few  household  arrangements  for  your  comfort  and 
to  give  my  instructions  to  the  steward  in  person.  Undoubt-- 
edly  he  is  already  in  the  antechamber  awaiting  my  orders. 
Excuse  me,  therefore,  for  a  few  minutes." 

She  nodded  smilingly  at  the  Princess  and  hastened  through 
the  apartment  to  the  antechamber.  The  Elector  was  alone 
with  her.  They  stood  regarding  each  other  with  grave,  mel- 
ancholy looks. 

"  You  see,  Frederick  William,"  said  Ludovicka,  bsr  voice 
slightly  quivering,  "  I  have  obeyed  your  injunction,  and  come 
to  present  myself  to  your  wife." 

"  Yes,"  replied  he  gloomily,  "  but  you  are  responsible, 
Ludovicka,  for  my  having  to-day  for  the  first  time  concealed 
the  truth  from  my  wife." 

"  What  ?  "  cried  she  bitterly.  "  Was  not  this  sacrifice 
great  enough?  Could  you  ask  it  of  me  that  I  should  tell  your 
wife  that  I  had  come  here  only  to  see  you,  to  take  leave  of 
you?  0  Frederick!  you  have  indeed  a  cruel  heart,  and  would 
deepen  my  humiliation!  " 

"  No,"  said  he,  slowly  shaking  his  head,  "  I  have  not  a 
cruel  heart.  I  am  only  cautious  and  conscientious!  " 

"  And  yet  you  desire  this  last  humiliation  ? "  said  she 


330  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

softly.  "  I  am  to  tell  your  wife  that  I  have  already  spent  some 
days  here  in  concealment;  that  at  my  request  you  have  daily 
visited  me;  and  that  good  old  Burgsdorf  took  me  into  his 
house  under  an  assumed  name?  Must  I  acknowledge  all  this 
to  her?  " 

"  No,"  answered  the  Elector  hastily — "  no.  Let  the  matter 
rest  as  it  stands.  The  Electress  is  to  know  nothing  of  these 
things.  It  is  better  so,  perhaps.  And  now,  Ludovicka  Hoi- 
landine,"  he  continued,  offering  her  both  hands — "  now  wel- 
come to  my  house,  to  my  home.  You  have  made  a  great  sacri- 
fice for  my  sake,  and  I  thank  you  for  it.  By  so  doing  you  will 
make  my  life  richer  by  a  few  bright  and  happy  days,  and  shed 
some  sunshine  in  this  gray,  gloomy  old  castle." 

At  this  moment  the  Electress  re-entered  the  room,  and, 
seeing  the  two  standing  thus  hand  in  hand  and  looking  kindly 
at  one  another,  she  nodded  to  them  with  a  cheerful  smile. 

"That  is  right— I  like  that!"  she  cried.  "Peace  be 
among  us  all,  peace  and  love!  And  now  come,  dear  cousin, 
give  me  your  arm  and  allow  me  to  conduct  you  myself  to  your 
own  apartments,  that  you  may  rest  and  refresh  yourself.  In 
an  hour's  time  permit  the  Elector  to  hand  you  down  to  dinner." 

She  offered  the  Princess  her  arm,  while  the  Elector  has- 
tened to  open  the  doors  for  them,  and  then  took  his  leave. 

"  Well,  here  I  am  happily  installed,"  said  Ludovicka  to 
herself,  surveying  the  vast  chamber  with  dingy  little  win- 
dows into  which  she  had  just  been  ushered.  "  It  must  be 
admitted,"  she  continued,  slowly  sinking  into  one  of  the  high- 
backed  chairs,  covered  with  velvet  yellow  with  age — "  it  must 
be  admitted  that  it  is  not  too  splendid  here,  and  I  almost  think 
I  was  lodged  more  elegantly  and  pleasantly  at  my  old  Burgs- 
dorf's  than  here  in  the  Electoral  mansion.  How  faded  is  the 
velvet  of  this  furniture,  how  old-fashioned  its  style,  and  how 
wretchedly  defaced  is  the  papering  with  which  the  walls  are 
hung!  But  let  us  see  how  the  dressing  room  is  furnished." 

She  got  up  briskly  from  her  armchair,  crossed  the  boudoir, 
and  pushed  open  the  low  brown  door  which  led  into  the  ad- 
joining apartment. 

It  was  fitted  up  in  a  similar  manner.  The  walls  were  hung 
with  the  same  simple  papering,  the  velvet  covers  on  the  furni- 


THE  VISIT.  331 

ture  was  faded,  the  golden  decorations  tarnished  and  moldy, 
the  windows  dim  with  their  little  panes  of  glass  framed  in  lead, 
through  which,  however,  penetrated  the  scorching  rays  of  the 
sun.  Beneath  a  canopy  of  faded  velvet  was  a  small,  simple 
bed,  and  between  the  windows  a  toilet  table  furnished  meanly 
and  simply,  without  the  least  luxury. 

The  Princess's  keen  eyes  took  all  this  in  at  a  rapid  glance, 
and  then  fastened  upon  one  spot  in  the  ceiling  which  excited 
her  particular  attention.  This  ceiling,  which  was  very  gro- 
tesquely painted  and  represented  a  cloudy  sky,  from  which 
looked  out  several  smiling  genii,  was  at  this  place  inter- 
rupted in  a  violent  way.  The  sky  was  here  nailed  up  with 
boards,  and  the  angels'  heads  near  the  boards  were  lost  in  an 
indistinguishable  medley  of  colors. 

"  I  should  like  to  know  what  this  signifies,"  whispered  the 
Princess,  while  her  eyes  fell  from  the  ceiling  to  the  floor, 
which  was  covered  with  a  thick  woolen  carpet.  Here,  too, 
the  colors  were  obliterated,  and  had  run  into  one  another, 
the  floor  seeming  to  have  been  damaged  by  some  accident. 
And  as  the  Princess  surveyed  all  this  with  a  mocking  smile, 
and  was  puzzling  herself  to  conjecture  the  cause  of  this  dilapi- 
dation, a  small  side  door  in  the  sleeping  room  opened,  and  the 
Electoral  steward  made  his  appearance,  followed  by  a  lackey, 
bearing  a  large  earthen  bowl. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  the  steward,  with  a  low  bow. 
"  I  am  sorry  to  disturb  you,  but  it  is  just  beginning  to  rain, 
and  we  must  therefore  place  a  vessel  under  this  leak.  The 
new  chambers,  alas!  are  not  ready,  and  your  highness  will 
therefore  have  to  content  yourself  with  the  Duchess  of  Bruns- 
wick's suite  of  apartments.  But  who  would  have  thought 
that  such  a  storm  would  have  blown  up?" 

He  helped  the  lackey  to  place  the  great  earthen  dish  just 
under  that  part  of  the  ceiling  which  was  boarded  up,  and  then 
retired  with  reverential  obeisances. 

Princess  Ludovicka  looked  with  comic  seriousness  upon 
the  brown  earthen  bowl,  and  as  the  rain,  which  was  now  beat- 
ing furiously  against  the  window  panes,  began  also  to  pene- 
trate the  ceiling  and  trickle  drop  by  drop  into  the  bowl,  she 

laughed  aloud. 
22 


332  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  I  actually  believe  this  grim  old  Electoral  castle  is  weep- 
ing because  1  have  forced  my  way  in,"  she  whispered.  "  The 
steward  may  be  right:  a  storm  is  blowing  up.  I  am  the  tem- 
pest; I  am  the  lightning  which  is  to  put  everything  here  in 
flames;  I  am  the  fire  which  is  to  lay  everything  here  in  ashes. 
Weep,  weep,  old  rumbling  Electoral  castle!  Yes,  yes,  the 
tempest  is  brewing,  and  finely  shall  it  thunder  and  lighten! 
Weep  on!  I,  too,  wept  when  he  thrust  me  from  him;  wring- 
ing my  hands  I  besought  him,  and  he  had  the  cruel  courage 
to  turn  from  me.  Now  I  shall  take  my  revenge,  my  fiery, 
fierce  revenge!  " 

Just  at  this  instant  a  streak  of  lightning  flashed  through 
the  apartment,  followed  by  such  a  loud,  majestic  peal  of  thun- 
der that  the  windows  jarred  and  rattled. 

Ludovicka  lifted  up  both  arms,  and  her  countenance  grew 
more  animated.  "  Hail  to  you,  angry  voice  of  Jove! "  she 
cried.  "  I  greet  you  and  rejoice  in  you!  Send  me  one  of  thy 
bolts,  as  thou  didst  once  to  Theseus,  that  I  may  take  vengeance 
upon  these  two,  who  are  to  blame  for  my  ruin,  who  have  on 
their  consciences  the  loss  of  my  virtue,  and  my  shame,  my 
transgressions  and  humiliations!  He  scorned  me  and  drove 
me  to  take  refuge  in  that  wild,  licentious  life.  She  has  taken 
the  place  which  belongs  to  me,  with  which  he  solemnly  swore 
to  endow  me.  I  ought  to  be  Electress  of  Brandenburg!  I 
should  be  the  wife  of  this  handsome,  engaging  Elector!  Help 
me,  0  Jupiter!  that  I  may  revenge  myself  upon  them  both! 
Speak  to  me  with  the  voice  of  thy  majestic  thunderbolts.  Say 
that  thou  wilt  grant  my  prayer!  " 

Still  she  stood  with  uplifted  arms,  her  large,  glowing  eyes 
gazing  into  the  stormy  sky.  Now  another  vivid  flash,  envelop- 
ing her  as  in  a  golden  cloud;  a  loud  and  long-continued  peal 
of  thunder  followed.  A  smile  passed  lightly  over  her  features, 
she  let  her  arms  drop,  and,  proudly  throwing  back  her  head, 
whispered:  "  I  shall  have  my  revenge.  He  shall  love  me!  " 


.THE  EXECUTION.  333 


III. — THE  EXECUTION. 

THE  eight  days  had  passed,  and  Gabriel  Nietzel  had  not 
protested  against  the  sentence  which  condemned  him  to  death. 
He  had  not  even  sought  the  Elector's  pardon,  although  Fred- 
erick William  had  several  times  sent  his  own  physician  to  the 
prison  to  urge  him  to  present  a  written  petition  to  that  effect. 
But  Gabriel  had  only  replied  to  this  invitation  by  silently 
shaking  his  head,  and  when,  on  his  last  mission,  the  doctor 
had  pressed  it  upon  him  with  impatience,  he  had  said  almost 
indignantly:  "  I  have  only  one  favor  to  ask  of  the  Elector, 
and  that  is  that  he  will  trouble  himself  no  more  about  me,  but 
allow  me  undisturbed  to  go  on  my  way  to  death.  This  is  now 
my  sole  wish.  Say  so  to  the  Elector,  and  farewell!  " 

But  this  was  the  very  favor  which  Frederick  William  was 
unwilling  to  grant  the  wretched  man;  he  would  save  him  at 
any  price.  He  felt  as  if  a  sacred  bond  linked  him  to  the  poor 
beggar,  as  if  it  would  be  a  grief  to  his  own  soul  to  burst  asunder 
this  bond;  his  heart  seemed  to  be  drawn  with  wondrous  sym- 
pathy toward  this  pitiable  man,  and  he  had  a  feeling  of  rever- 
ential admiration  for  the  heroism  with  which  the  heavily 
laden,  repentant  sinner  had  imposed  upon  himself  such  severe 
penance  for  his  crime  and  guilt. 

"I  will  save  him!"  cried  the  Elector  quite  aloud,  as  he 
once  more,  on  this  the  eighth  day  after  the  pronouncing  of 
the  sentence,  read  over  the  warrant  of  death  which  had  been 
issued  against  the  "  beggar  Glaus,"  and  to  which  he  was  to- 
day to  affix  his  signature.  "  I  will  save  Glaus,  and  preserve 
my  soul  from  incurring  the  heavy  guilt  of  having  condemned 
an  innocent,  repentant  man.  They  say  that  it  does  not  be- 
come me  to  pardon  in  opposition  to  the  will  of  the  criminal 
himself.  They  also  maintain  that,  if  the  sentence  has  been 
given  unanimously,  it  may  not  and  can  not  be  reversed  by 
the  simple  mandate  of  the  Elector,  who  must  submit  to  the 
supremacy  of  the  law  like  any  other  citizen.  But  I  will  prove 
to  this  haughty  court,  to  these  proud,  assuming  magistrates, 
and  these  stubborn,  obstinate  States  that  I  am  not  merely 
Elector  but  Sovereign  here — that  I  am  above  law,  and  that 


334  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

my  will  is  the  highest  law  in  my  dominions!  Gabriel  Nietzel 
shall  not  die!  I  will  not  have  it." 

And  the  Elector  strode  through  the  apartment  and  opened 
the  door  of  the  little  antechamber.  "  Kiinkel,"  he  said  to  the 
chamberlain  in  attendance  there,  "  have  all  my  orders  been 
executed?  " 

"  Yes,  your  Electoral  Highness." 

"Is  all  ready?" 

"All  is  ready,  most  gracious  sir!  He  got  here  an  hour 
ago,  and  is  now  in  my  room  taking  some  refreshment." 

"  Good!  Bring  him  here  into  the  antechamber,  and  when 
I  call  let  him  come  in.  Did  you  convey  my  orders  to  the  di- 
rector of  the  prison?  " 

"  Yes,  your  Electoral  Highness,  but  the  director  thought 
he  could  not  comply  with  the  order  without  the  burgomaster's 
consent — not  without  a  written  permit  signed  by  him  to  the 
effect  that  he  could  release  the  prisoner  from  his  cell  and  have 
him  led  to  your  highness." 

The  Elector  turned  away  to  conceal  the  flush  of  anger  and 
shame  which  mounted  to  his  face.  "  They  shall  repent  of  it," 
he  said  to  himself.  "  I  shall  make  them  repent  of  daring  to 
oppose  me  thus  at  every  opportunity.  I  will  bend  their 
haughty  necks  and  break  their  pride! " 

As  if  this  thought  had  cooled  and  refreshed  him,  the 
Elector  turned  to  his  chamberlain  with  cheerful  and  com- 
posed mien.  "  Did  you  go  then  to  the  burgomaster  with  my 
order?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  did,  your  Electoral  Grace,  and  the  burgomaster  made 
haste  to  hand  me  the  written  order,  that  the  director  of  the 
prison  should  forthwith,  in  obedience  to  the  Electoral  com- 
mand, send  the  criminal  under  a  strong  guard  to  the  castle  as 
soon  as  it  was  dark,  since  the  Elector  wished  to  question  him 
once  more." 

"Indeed,  I  owe  my  thanks  to  the  burgomaster  for  his 
condescending  support  of  my  orders!  "  cried  the  Elector,  with 
a  derisive  laugh.  "  I  suppose,  then,  since  it  is  already  dark, 
that  the  criminal  will  soon  be  here?  " 

"  The  burgomaster  thought  it  might  be  done  about  seven 
o'clock.  It  is  already  a  quarter  past  seven.  But  it  seems  to 


THE  EXECUTION.  335 

me  I  hear  carriage  wheels.  Surely  they  must  be  bringing  him 
now." 

"  It  is  indeed  so,"  said  the  Elector,  listening.  "  Light  a 
few  more  candles  in  my  cabinet,  that  it  may  be  right  bright, 
and  then,  when  he  has  come  to  me,  let  his  guard  await  his  re- 
turn in  the  guardroom  below.  Place  some  wine  and  brandy 
before  the  men,  and  encourage  them  to  do  honor  to  the  drink- 
ables. When  you  have  well  provided  for  the  people  below, 
come  up  again,  and  wait  with  the  boy  until  I  call  you  in.  Is 
he  good-looking?  " 

"  Your  highness,  a  youth  of  such  extraordinary  beauty  I 
have  never  before  seen.  He  puts  me  in  mind  of  the  angel 
Gabriel,  so  radiant,  so  innocent,  yet  manly  and " 

"  Your  Electoral  Grace,"  announced  a  valet  de  chambre, 
"  the  provosts  and  jailer  of  the  prison  are  in  the  antechamber 
without.  They  bring  a  man  in  irons,  whom  they  say  your 
Electoral  Grace  has  summoned." 

"  Let  them  come  in,"  was  the  Elector's  order,  "  and  you, 
Kiinkel,  go  to  the  young  man  and  bring  him  here  at  the  right 
time." 

"  Your  highness  shall  be  obeyed,"  replied  the  confidential 
chamberlain,  noiselessly  withdrawing. 

There  was  a  rattling  and  clanking  before  the  door  of  the 
great  antechamber,  heavy  footsteps  approached,  the  valet 
threw  open  the  door,  and  four  bearded,  sullen-looking  men 
strode  in,  leading  in  their  midst  a  poor,  pale  human  being, 
about  whose  wasted,  emaciated  form  clanked  heavy  irons,  with 
which  they  had  chained  him  hand  and  foot. 

The  Elector  only  cast  one  fleeting  glance  upon  him,  then 
beckoned  to  the  provosts,  who  had  halted  in  reverential  atti- 
tude, and  with  imperious  voice  ordered,  "  Take  off  his  chains!  " 

They  obeyed,  and  the  heavy  chains,  weighing  nearly  sixty 
pounds,  fell  with  a  crash  to  the  floor. 

"  Now  be  off  with  you!  "  cried  the  Elector,  indicating  the 
door  by  a  quick  movement  of  his  hand. 

"  Your  Electoral  Grace,"  the  first  provost  ventured  to  re- 
mark, with  humble  voice — "your  Electoral  Grace,  we  are 
forbidden " 

"  Not  another  word;  carry  out  the  chains! "  cried  the 


336  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  FOWER. 

Elector  in  thundering  tones,  and  with  meek  and  crestfallen 
air  the  provosts  slunk  away. 

Again  the  Elector  and  beggar  were  alone. 

With  cold,  impassive  mien  Gabriel  Nietzel  had  witnessed 
the  scene  just  past.  With  downcast  eyes  had  he  entered,  not 
once  had  he  raised  them,  and  neither  the  Elector's  voice  nor 
the  taking  off  of  the  chains  seemed  to  have  made  the  slightest 
impression  upon  him.  Only  when  they  loosened  the  hand- 
cuffs and  freed  his  hands  was  any  movement  visible  in  this 
bowed  and  shrunken  figure.  He  had  folded  his  hands,  and, 
bowing  his  head  yet  deeper  upon  his  breast,  had  moved  his 
lips  as  if  in  secret  prayer. 

"  Gabriel  Nietzel,"  said  the  Elector. 

Gabriel  slowly  raised  his  head,  and  fixed  his  blue  eyes  with 
a  singularly  tender  expression  upon  Frederick  William's  noble 
countenance. 

"  My  dear  Elector,"  he  responded  softly. 

This  simple,  homely  phrase  made  so  deep  an  impression 
upon  the  Elector  that  tears  started  to  his  eyes. 

"  Do  you  love  me,  Gabriel?  "  he  asked. 

"Yes,"  replied  Gabriel  with  clear,  full  voice,  "with  my 
whole  heart  I  love  you.  You  have  ever  been  magnanimous, 
humane,  and  benevolent.  You  have  mercifully  forgiven  me 
for  my  shameful  crime,  and  always  pitied  me.  You  have  pro- 
tected me  against  the  hatred  and  envy  of  the  people;  you  have 
had  compassion  upon  my  pain  and  my  sore  affliction." 

"  And  yet  I  have  not  been  able  to  protect  you  against  the 
fearful  catastrophe  which  is  now  impending!  "  cried  the  Elec- 
tor earnestly,  shaking  his  head.  "  They  have  accused  you 
as  a  murderer  and  sorcerer!  " 

"  Oh,  no,  your  highness;  I  accused  myself.  They  only 
did  what  they  were  forced  to  do:  they  called  me  to  account 
for  my  own  accusation." 

"  And  condemned  you  to  death,"  added  the  Elector.  "  It 
is  a  disgraceful,  childish,  and  foolish  sentence,  and  you  per- 
ceive, Gabriel,  that  I  can  not  ratify  it." 

"  It  is  a  just  and  well-merited  sentence,  sir,"  said  Gabriel, 
"  and  for  the  sake  of  justice  and  an  eternal  reward  you  will 
have  to  ratify  it.  It  is  written,  '  For  all  they  that  take  the 


THE  EXECUTION.  337 

sword  shall  perish  with  the  sword/  and  again,  { Whoso  shed- 
deth  man's  blood,  by  man  shall  his  blood  be  shed.'  " 

"  But  you  have  shed  no  blood,  Gabriel,  neither  have  you 
taken  the  sword! "  cried  the  Elector  eagerly.  "  In  an  evil 
hour  you  allowed  yourself  to  be  led  astray  by  a  wicked  tempter, 
and  were  upon  the  point  of  committing  a  crime.  But  God 
prevented  it." 

"  Say,  rather,  Eebecca  prevented  it! "  cried  Gabriel, 
straightening  himself  up — "  say  that  Eebecca  took  upon  her- 
self the  sinner's  crime  and  went  for  him  to  death.  He,  there- 
fore, has  not  merely  one  murder  upon  his  conscience,  but 
is  responsible  for  the  cruel  and  terrible  death  of  the  noblest 
and  most  high-souled  of  women.  And  you,  sir,  would  have 
his  crime  go  unpunished!  You  can  wish  that  he  should  fill 
out  the  measure  of  his  days  like  any  other  honest  and  virtu- 
ous man,  and  enjoy  the  blessings  of  earth,  sunshine,  and 
flowers!  You  would  have  the  criminal  go  unpunished!  " 

"  No,  Gabriel.  But  a  crime  that  is  atoned  for  I  would 
have  pardoned,  and  mercy  extended  to  the  sinner.  Gabriel, 
you  have  done  penance  and  expiated  your  guilt." 

"  In  what  way,  sir?  "  asked  Gabriel  quickly.  "  What  have 
I  done  to  merit  forgiveness  ?  Like  a  broken  and  useless  branch 
have  I  hung  upon  the  tree  of  life,  consuming  its  vigor,  and 
imparting  to  it  no  new  sap.  In  idle  penance  I  squandered 
my  days,  instead  of  spending  them  for  others  in  restless  labor, 
in  the  sweat  of  my  brow.  I  thought  I  had  imposed  a  won- 
derfully great  penance  upon  myself  when  I  renounced  ambi- 
tion, trod  my  manly  dignity  in  the  dust,  and,  giving  up  every 
right,  wandered  about  as  a  needy  beggar  living  upon  charity. 
I  did,  indeed,  scourge  and  torture  myself,  endured  the  con- 
tempt of  men,  patiently  submitted  to  their  taunts,  and,  like 
a  dog,  picked  out  of  the  mud  the  penny  cast  at  me  with  mock- 
ing jests,  feeling  withal  as  if  my  heart  were  being  slowly 
lacerated  with  pin  pricks  and  as  if  daggers  were  penetrating 
my  brain.  But  still,  that  was  not  genuine  penance,  nor  genu- 
ine humility.  True  penance,  sir,  consists  in  work!  If  I  had 
labored  from  morning  till  night,  if  I  had  lived  and  toiled 
for  the  poor,  the  unfortunate — that  would  have  been  the  right 
kind  of  penance!  There  are  so  many  sick  and  suffering,  who 


338  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

in  their  solitude  and  distress  need  attention  and  consolation. 
These  I  should  have  sought  out,  these  should  I  have  tended. 
Then  I  might  still  have  done  something,  then  I  might  perhaps 
have  again  deserved  to  live,  and  even  to  obtain  forgiveness 
before  the  throne  of  God.  For  work  is  a  sacrifice  well  pleas- 
ing to  God,  and  he  looks  more  favorably  upon  hands  that 
labor  than  upon  hands  which  are  for  hours  together  uplifted 
in  slothful  prayer.  See,  sir,"  continued  Gabriel,  recovering 
breath,  "  all  this  I  saw  clearly  for  the  first  time  in  my  dear, 
solitary  dungeon.  The  black  veil  which  covered  my  head  has 
been  taken  away  since  I  found  my  Eebecca's  remains,  and  my 
eye  sees  everything  clearly  and  in  its  true  light." 

"  Well  then,  Gabriel,  you  must  perceive  that  you  ought 
not  to  die  yet,"  said  the  Elector  in  a  pressing  manner — "  that 
you  should  do  penance  now  in  another  sense.  You  say  that 
work  is  the  only  true  penance  and  the  only  sacrifice  well 
pleasing  to  God.  Go  to  work,  then,  Gabriel,  and  use  your 
hands!  I  will  furnish  you  with  the  fitting  opportunity.  I 
will  send  you  to  my  province  of  Prussia.  There  at  Kb'nigs- 
berg  nobody  knows  you,  nobody  has  heard  of  you.  A  great 
asylum  has  been  erected  there  for  the  accommodation  of  two 
hundred  patients.  You  shall  be  appointed  one  of  the 
nurses.  There  you  can  live  in  obscurity  and  poverty, 
but  as  an  active  member  of  the  community  doing  pen- 
ance by  your  work.  Accept  my  proposition,  I  beseech  you, 
Gabriel  Nietzel.  See,  I  have  prepared  everything  beforehand, 
made  all  arrangements  for  your  flight,  and  taken  all  need- 
ful precautions.  Now  prove  to  me  that  you  really  love  your 
'  dear  Elector,'  and  care  to  please  me.  Flee,  Gabriel,  flee!  " 

"  Sir,  it  is  impossible! "  cried  Gabriel,  "  I  can  not,  I  dare 
not.  Through  purgatory  is  the  road  to  paradise,  and  I  must 
be  on  my  way,  for  Rebecca  is  waiting  for  me.  Do  you  not 
know  that  when  I  found  her  bones,  with  her  hand  she  struck 
my  forehead,  so  that  the  blood  gushed  out?  Do  you  not  under- 
stand that  by  this  token  she  meant  to  demand  my  head  and 
my  blood  for  an  atonement?  To  bid  me  pass  through  the 
purgatory  of  earthly  punishment,  to  be  absolved,  and  to  meet 
her  in  eternal  peace,  eternal  love?  No,  sir,  you  can  not  be 
cruel  enough  to  detain  me  longer  from  my  Rebecca,  or  to  pro- 


THE  EXECUTION.  339 

long  my  earthly  tortures.  I  told  you  that  I  did  not  practice 
the  right  sort  of  penance,  and  that  therefore  my  crimes  are 
still  unpunished  and  unatoned  for.  Then  let  me  now  expiate 
them  hy  my  death,  sir,  let  earthly  justice  run  her  course  that 
heavenly  justice  may  stoop  to  pity  me." 

"But,  man!"  cried  the  Elector  earnestly,  "do  you  not 
feel  that  it  pains  me  to  see  you  die  so?  Do  you  not  compre- 
hend that  my  soul  revolts  from  participating  in  the  guilt  of 
your  death?" 

"  You  participate  in  no  guilt,  sir,"  replied  Gabriel,  shak- 
ing his  head  so  that  his  long,  gray  locks  fluttered  about  his 
face.  "  No,  sir;  you  will  rather  have  acted  as  my  benefactor 
and  redeemer,  and  I  shall  bless  you  with  the  last  breath  of  my 
miserable  existence." 

"  Man,  are  you  not  to  be  moved?  "  cried  the  Elector  bitter- 
ly. "  Can  nothing  soften  your  obduracy  or  break  your  mad 
stubbornness?  Yet  every  creature  clings  to  life,  and  every- 
body has  something  which  he  loves  and  from  which  he  would 
not  part!  " 

"  I,  sir,  have  nothing.  My  love,  my  hope,  my  joy  lie 
buried  in  the  grave,  whence  they  will  come  forth  with  me  at 
the  resurrection." 

"  And  your  son.  Have  you  not  thought  of  your  son, 
Gabriel  Nietzel?" 

A  shriek  sounded  from  Gabriel's  pale  and  trembling  lips. 
He  clasped  both  his  hands  before  his  face  and  groaned  aloud. 

"Sir,  oh,  sir,  why  did  you  do  that?"  he  sighed,  slowly 
letting  his  hands  drop  from  before  his  face.  "  Why  did  you 
with  cruel  hand  touch  the  only  chord  which  still  vibrates  in 
my  heart?  " 

"  That  you  may  awake  from  your  self -torturing  delusion, 
Gabriel  Nietzel! "  cried  the  Elector  with  strong  voice — "that 
you  may  feel  that  your  heart  is  not  loosened  from  earth;  that 
you  may  be  convinced  that  there  are  links  binding  you  to 
earth  which  you  may  not  sever.  The  last  time  you  stood 
before  me  in  this  chamber  as  you  do  to-day,  Gabriel  Nietzel, 
I  demanded  of  the  cruel  father,  who  would  have  sentenced  his 
child  to  share  his  penance  and  his  life  of  beggary,  to  give 
me  his  son  that  I  might  have  him  brought  up  to  be  an  honest, 


340  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

virtuous  man.  And  Gabriel  Nietzel  subdued  his  feelings, 
and  gave  away  the  last  thing  he  prized  on  earth — he 
gave  me  his  son!  To-day  when  for  the  last  time,  perhaps, 
you  wait  in  this  room,  I  shall  show  the  son  to  this  cruel 
father,  that  his  heart  may  open  to  love!  Come  in! "  cried 
the  Elector,  with  loud  voice,  and  the  door  of  the  small 
antechamber  opened,  and  within  it  appeared  a  boy  or  rather  a 
youth. 

Tall  and  slender  was  his  stature,  his  hair,  once  so  light  and 
golden  had  darkened  to  brown,  and  fell  in  heavy  ringlets 
over  his  neck  and  shoulders.  His  face  was  of  that  fine,  classic 
oval,  such  as  we  see  in  the  statues  of  the  ancients  and  the 
paintings  of  the  Italian  masters,  and  wore  an  expression  of 
innocence  and  youthful  candor.  His  cheeks  were  slightly 
tinged  with  red,  his  full,  parted  lips  revealed  two  rows  of  the 
most  exquisitely  white  teeth.  The  broad,  high  forehead  tes- 
tified of  energy  and  determination,  and  from  his  large,  black 
eyes  beamed  an  exuberance  of  youthful  spirits.  These  eyes 
were  now  fixed  with  an  expression  at  once  reverential  and 
bewildered  upon  the  Elector,  and,  as  the  latter  did  not  call 
him,  the  boy  remained  modestly  standing  at  the  door.  Ga- 
briel Nietzel  had  not  yet  seen  him,  standing  with  his  back 
to  the  door,  his  head  sunk  upon  his  breast. 

"  Gabriel  Nietzel!  "  cried  the  Elector  now,  "  look  around; 
it  is  Rebecca's  son  who  stands  beside  you!  " 

A  tremor  shook  the  poor,  bowed,  and  drooping  form.  A 
deadly  pallor,  and  then  a  glowing  red,  suffused  his  cheeks. 
He  was  undergoing  an  inward  conflict;  he  sought  to  con- 
quer himself  and  force  back  the  feelings  which  welled  up  from 
his  heart,  his  longings,  and  his  love;  but  love  was  stronger 
than  his  will.  It  vanquished  him  now,  so  that  he  turned 
around;  it  made  him  forget  everything,  his  penance,  his  des- 
pair, his  repentant  tears,  even  the  cruel  oath  by  which  he  had 
bound  himself  never  again  to  salute  his  son.  In  spite  of  him- 
self his  arms  opened,  his  lips  parted,  and  with  a  cry  of  mingled 
pain  and  rapture  he  rushed  to  his  son,  clasped  him  tightly  in 
his  arms,  and,  leaning  his  head  upon  the  boy's  shoulder,  broke 
forth  into  loud  weeping. 

The  Elector  stood  with  folded  hands,  and  his  eyes,  usu- 


THE  EXECUTION.  341 

ally  so  bright  and  clear,  grew  dim.  And  as  he  now  turned 
them  heavenward,  two  tears  rolled  slowly  down  his  cheeks. 

"  He  has  a  son,"  he  said  softly  to  himself,  "  a  son  whom 
he  loves.  Oh,  my  God,  how  wonderful  are  thy  ways!  Thou 
givest  to  the  beggar  what  thou  deniest  to  the  Prince,  and 
the  Prince  might  envy  the  beggar!  " 

Meanwhile,  by  the  energy  of  his  will,  Gabriel  Nietzel  had 
suppressed  his  groans  and  weeping,  and  again  lifted  up  his 
head.  With  the  back  of  his  hand  he  wiped  away  the  tears 
from  his  eyes  and  looked  at  his  son.  His  countenance  actually 
seemed  glorified,  and  after  long,  long  years  for  the  first  time 
a  smile  illumined  his  features. 

"  It  is  Eebecca!  "  he  cried.  "  Those  are  her  eyes!  That 
is  her  wonderful  countenance,  that  is  the  sweet  smile  with 
which  she  was  wont  to  cheer  and  comfort  my  heart!  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  Eebecca,"  said  the  Elector,  approaching  the 
two.  "  My  child,"  he  continued,  turning  to  the  boy,  who 
with  bewildered  glances  looked  sometimes  upon  Gabriel  and 
sometimes  upon  the  Elector,  "  speak  to  your  father,  tell  him 
that  you  will  love  him,  and  beg  him  to  stay  with  you." 

"Is  that  man  my  father?"  asked  the  young  man,  almost 
sorrowfully. 

"  No,"  cried  Gabriel  Nietzel  vehemently — "  no,  I  am  not 
your  father!  You  know  your  father  was  a  gentleman,  a  re- 
nowned artist.  Your  grandfather  told  you  so,  when  you 
were  with  him  in  Venice.  Do  you  not  remember,  Eaphael?  " 

"My  God!"  murmured  the  boy,  as  if  awakening  from  a 
dream.  "Eaphael!  he  calls  me  Eaphael!  Yes,  indeed,  they 
used  to  call  me  so  before  I  had  found  my  father  Jacob  Uhle. 
And  you!  "  he  cried  all  at  once  aloud  and  joyfully — "  are 
not  you  my  good  old  foster-father?  Are  not  you  Glaus — 
my  dear,  good  Glaus?" 

He  laid  both  hands  on  Gabriel's  shoulders,  his  large,  flam- 
ing eyes  seeking  in  that  pinched  and  wasted  countenance 
traces  of  childhood's  memories. 

"Yes,  it  is  he,"  continued  the  lad.  "You  have  come 
again  at  last,  and  I  find  you  on  exactly  the  same  spot  where 
you  left  me.  Oh,  I  remember  all  now,  I  know  how  much  I 
wept  at  first  when  you  thrust  me  from  you,  Glaus,  and  when 


342  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

I  had  to  go  to  a  strange  place  among  strange  people.  At 
night,  when  I  was  alone,  I  called  to  you  and  scolded  you,  weep- 
ing bitterly  for  longing  to  see  my  old  Claus.  But  in  the  morn- 
ing I  dried  my  eyes,  and  did  not  let  any  one  see  my  sadness. 
For  Jacob  Uhle  and  his  wife  were  so  very  kind  to  me,  calling 
me  their  child  and  acting  in  every  respect  like  tender  parents. 
And  then  there  was  so  much  to  be  learned,  so  much  to  be 
done,  that  I  soon  forgot  my  sorrow.  So  years  have  passed  away, 
and  only  occasionally  do  I  still  think  of  my  good  old  Claus. 
But  now  you  are  here  again,  Claus,  and  I  mean  to  hold  fast  to 
you,  and  not  let  you  run  away  from  me  again." 

"  Well  spoken,"  said  the  Elector,  smiling  approvingly  upon 
the  boy.  "  Hold  him  right  fast,  that  he  escape  us  not  again. 
Tell  him  that  a  father  has  no  right  to  forsake  his  son,  for 
see,  I  will  now  tell  you  a  secret;  you " 

"  No! "  screamed  Gabriel,  violently  thrusting  the  young 
man  from  him — "  no,  sir,  you  will  not.  As  a  last  favor  I  be- 
seech you  to  betray  no  secret  to  this  youth.  You  would 
not  eternally  trouble  the  serenity  of  his  soul.  He  has 
found  a  father  and  a  family,  let  him  enjoy  them.  Look  at 
that  dear  face.  Upon  it  still  rests  the  sunshine  of  youth. 
Oh,  sir,  do  not  let  me  be  the  cause  of  casting  a  dark  shadow 
over  it! " 

"  But  I,"  cried  the  young  man,  anxiously  approaching 
the  Elector,  "  I  implore  your  highness  to  tell  me  the  truth. 
Do  it,  I  beg  of  you,  sir,  that  I  may  know  who  I  am.  I  am 
strong  and  sound,  both  in  soul  and  body,  and  can  bear  any 
secret.  Tell  me,  I  beseech  you,  sir,  is  this  poor,  unhappy 
man  my  own  veritable  father?  I  well  know  that  from  child- 
hood up  he  took  care  of  me,  denied  himself  to  supply  my 
wants,  cradled  me  in  his  arms,  carried  me  when  my  feet  were 
sore,  and  begged  for  me  when  I  hungered.  But  when  I  asked 
him  about  my  father  he  told  me  that  he  had  long  since  been 
dead  and  buried,  and  that  I  must  never  think  or  speak  of  him. 
But  if  Claus  is  indeed  my  father,  I  will  love  him  as  a  true  son, 
make  up  to  him  for  what  he  has  done  for  me,  and  nurse  him 
in  his  old  age.  Your  highness,  you  do  not  know  perhaps  that 
I  have  finished  the  course  at  Joachim's  vale.  I  have  passed  my 
examinations  in  the  highest  class,  and  now  come  to  ask  you, 


THE  EXECUTION.  343 

sir,  to  take  me  into  the  number  of  your  soldiers,  for  Father 
Uhle  says  you  promised  that  you  would." 

"And  he  speaks  the  truth.  You  shall  be  a  soldier,  and 
just  as  soon  as  you  have  learned  the  exercises  and  regulations 
you  shall  belong  to  my  bodyguard." 

"  I  shall  learn,  and  learn  quickly,  too! "  cried  the  young 
man  joyfully,  "  and  I  shall  get  pay  then,  shall  I  not?  " 

"  Yes  indeed,  that  you  shall." 

"  Then  I  can  support  old  Claus  just  as  he  supported  me, 
and  care  for  him  and  love  him.  That  is  to  say,"  continued 
he  with  a  tender,  imploring  glance  at  Claus — "  that  is  to  say, 
if  he  will  accept  it  from  me." 

"  Claus,"  asked  the  Elector,  "  can  you  resist  any  longer? 
Does  your  heart  make  no  response?  " 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  Claus,  looking  up  determinedly,  "it 
responds  in  the  name  of  his  father,  who  has  been  long  since 
dead  and  buried,  and  this  is  its  response.  Hear  it,  Frederick 
William  Uhle,  hear  and  ponder  it  well.  The  man  who  stands 
here  before  you  is  not  worthy  of  your  love  and  sympathy, 
and  you  are  not  to  weep  for  him,  but  blot  his  remembrance 
from  your  mind  and  scatter  it  to  the  four  winds  of  heaven, 
even  as  shall  be  soon  done  with  his  ashes!  The  Elector 
has  granted  me  the  last  favor  of  being  privileged  to  see 
you  once  more,  Frederick  William  Uhle.  I  thank  you,  too, 
for  coming  and  giving  me  a  loving  embrace  on  my  way  to 
death." 

"  On  your  way  to  death?  "  asked  the  young  man,  turning 
pale.  "  Good  heavens,  Claus!  You  are  not  the  Claus  whom 
they  were  telling  us  about  as  we  came  along,  the  Claus " 

"  The  Claus  who  is  sentenced  to  death  for  murder  and 
witchcraft?  Yes,  I  am  that  Claus! "  cried  Gabriel,  draw- 
ing himself  up  erect  gravely  and  with  dignity.  "  Frederick 
William  Uhle,  turn  from  me  and  think  of  me  no  more,  for  I 
do  not  deserve  it!  " 

"  He  slanders  himself,  he  speaks  what  is  false!  "  cried  the 
Elector  passionately.  "  He  wants  to  die,  and  therefore  has 
accused  himself  of  evil  deeds  which  he  did  not  commit. 
Short-sighted  and  foolish  men  credited  his  accusation,  and 
condemned  him.  But  I  tell  you,  Frederick  William  Uhle, 


344  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

that  this  man  is  not  guilty  of  the  crimes  for  which  he  has 
been  condemned.  And  therefore  pardon  him  I  will,  and 
therefore  I  had  you  summoned  that  you  might  beg  him  to 
accept  my  pardon  and  live." 

"  Glaus!  "  cried  the  son,  seizing  him  by  the  hand  and  look- 
ing at  him  with  pleading  glances — "  Glaus,  please  do  not  go 
away  from  me.  I  beg  you  to  endure  life  for  my  sake,  what- 
ever ills  it  may  have  brought  you.  Give  me  the  happiness 
of  having  you  with  me,  that  by  my  love  I  may  make  amends 
for  all  the  trouble  I  ever  cost  you.  What  matters  it  to  you 
that  men  prosecute  and  condemn  you  when  the  Elector  pro- 
nounces you  innocent,  and  while  I  am  here  to  love,  venerate, 
and  cherish  you,  while  I " 

"  0  merciful  Father!  "  burst  forth  Gabriel,  with  a  shriek 
of  despairing  agony.  "  Will  this  poor,  tortured  heart  then 
never  break?  Must  it  be  racked  and  tormented  to  the  last 
minute?  Sir,  sir,  I  am  suffering,  pity  me!  Sir,  sir,  the  fires 
of  purgatory  burn  within  my  heart.  Let  thus  much  of  grief 
suffice — pity  me!  " 

And  wringing  his  hands,  which  were  uplifted  toward 
heaven,  Gabriel  Nietzel  threw  himself  on  his  knees  and  looked 
up  with  countenance  distorted  by  grief  and  gestures  of  en- 
treaty, while  his  lips  murmured  detached  words  of  supplica- 
tion and  fervent  prayer. 

Gradually  these,  too,  were  hushed,  his  features  again  grew 
more  composed,  the  restless  hands  dropped,  and  he  bowed 
his  head  upon  his  breast.  Unbroken  quiet  prevailed  now  in 
the  Electoral  cabinet.  The  beggar  Glaus  still  knelt  in  silence, 
while  his  son  stood  behind  him  with  folded  hands  and  stream- 
ing eyes.  Opposite  these  two,  leaning  against  his  writing 
table,  stood  ihe  Elector,  gazing  upon  the  strange  picture  with 
grave  and  deeply  moved  countenance. 

Suddenly  Gabriel  Nietzel  arose,  and  his  whole  manner 
was  tranquil  and  dignified. 

"Sir,"  he  said,  turning  to  the  Elector,  "permit  me  to 
speak  once  more  to  this  young  man  here  as  if  he  were  my  son 
and  I  his  father.  Will  you  tell  him  to  do  unquestioningly 
what  I  shall  ask  of  him?  " 

"  It  shall  be  done,"  said  the  Elector,  and,  turning  to  the 


THE  EXECUTION.  34.5 

youth,  he  said,  "  Do  what  he  bids  you,  and  do  it  without  ques- 
tion." 

"  I  will,"  murmured  the  yputh,  with  quivering  lips. 

"  My  son,"  said  Gabriel  Nietzel  solemnly,  "  do  you  re- 
member that  starry  night  when  you  slept  in  my  arms  with  no 
roof  above  us  but  the  arching  sky?  " 

"  I  remember  it,  Father  Glaus,"  replied  his  son  softly. 

"  I  then  told  you  what  I  shall  now  repeat:  '  Be  happy, 
my  child,  the  blessing  of  your  mother  rest  upon  you,  and  make 
of  you  a  good  and  virtuous  man!  Think  ever  of  your  mother. 
Honor  her  in  every  woman  and  maiden  whom  you  approach. 
Pray  also  for  your  unhappy  father.  He  departed  this  life 
under  painful  circumstances,  pray  for  him  that  God  may 
have  mercy  upon  him,  and  that  he  may  enter  into  everlasting 
peace.'  Then  my  son,"  and  something  approaching  a  smile 
flitted  across  his  face,  "  then  I  kissed  you  and  said:  '  When 
you  are  called  to  die,  may  some  tender  mouth  bestow  upon  you 
a  parting  kiss.  May  you  expire  beneath  a  kiss! '  For  to-day, 
Frederick  William  Uhle,  this  is  also  my  farewell  speech. 
Think  of  your  noble  mother  and  pray  for  your  wretched 
father!  And  now,  without  uttering  a  word,  without  even 
looking  at  me,  turn  around,  go,  and  await  without  the  Elec- 
tor's further  commands." 

And  as  the  son  still  lingered,  his  large  eyes  fixed  in  entreaty 
upon  his  father,  and  latter  with  a  proud,  imperious  move- 
ment of  the  hand  waved  him  toward  the  door. 

"  It  is  my  last  wish,"  he  cried,  "  go !  " 

"  Obey  him,"  said  the  Elector  earnestly. 

The  youth  sighed  deeply,  once  more  directed  his  eyes  to 
the  face  of  old  Glaus,  then  turned  slowly,  opened  the  door, 
and  went  out.  A  low,  painful  groan  escaped  Gabriel  Nietzel's 
breast;  he  pressed  both  hands  upon  his  heart,  as  if  he  would 
hold  it  together  that  it  might  not  break  beneath  its  weight  of 
woe.  Then  he  stepped  lightly  across  to  the  door  through  which 
his  son  had  disappeared,  knelt  down  before  it,  stooped  to  the 
floor,  and  kissed  the  threshold  which  his  foot  had  touched. 

"  Blessings  be  upon  you,  my  son,"  he  said  softly.  "  Your 
father's  spirit  will  be  near  you  and  his  love  will  protect  you. 
Blessings  be  upon  you!  " 


\ 
346  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

He  arose  slowly  and  turned  to  the  Elector. 

"  Sir,"  he  said  in  a  toneless  voice — "  sir,  I  am  weary,  and 
long  for  rest  and  solitude.  Do  me  one  last  favor,  summon 
the  men  to  lead  me  back  to  my  prison." 

"You  remain  immovable,  then?"  asked  the  Elector. 
"  You  will  not  accept  pardon  from  me?  See,  Gabriel,  I  have 
prepared  everything  for  your  flight.  A  carriage  is  waiting  to 
drive  you  away  from  this  place.  In  my  chamberlain's  room 
are  clothes  for  you.  Kiinkel  will  drive  you  to  Kb'penick, 
where  we  could  keep  you  a  few  weeks  in  concealment  until 
the  hue  and  cry  raised  over  your  disappearance  shall  be  over. 
Then,  with  a  certificate  from  me,  present  yourself  at  the 
Konigsberg  hospital  and  take  the  place  of  nurse.  But  we  will 
tell  the  silly  people  that  you  certainly  were  a  sorcerer,  for  you 
vanished  from  the  castle  in  a  cloud  of  smoke  and  vapor. 
Say  even  now  that  you  accept  my  proposal,  and  will  submit 
to  my  wishes.  Gabriel  Nietzel,  I  should  like  so  much  to  recon- 
cile you  with  the  world,  to  have  the  consciousness  that  I  had 
lightened  your  sufferings,  that  there  was  upon  earth  one 
human  heart  that  I  had  consoled,  one  sorrow-stricken  soul 
that  I  had  relieved.  Do  you  not  see  that  my  own  soul  is  in 
grief  for  you,  and  that  you  humble  me  by  making  me  feel  my 
powerlessness?  You  call  yourself  a  criminal  because  long 
years  ago  you  made  an  attempt  upon  my  life.  "Well,  then, 
atone  for  your  crime  now,  while  you  accept  life  from  me." 

He  had  stepped  up  quite  close  to  Gabriel,  and  his  counte- 
nance, usually  so  proud,  wore  now  an  expression  of  humble 
entreaty. 

"  You  mean  well  by  me,  sir,"  said  Gabriel.  "  You  would 
alleviate  my  sufferings?  " 

"  Yes,  Gabriel,  I  would  indeed!  " 

"  Well,  do  so  then,  sir.  Sign  my  death  warrant,  that  I 
may  go  away  into  everlasting  life." 

The  Elector  impatiently  stamped  his  foot,  and  turned  away 
with  indignation  and  bitterness  of  heart. 

"  Be  not  angry  with  me,  my  dear,  high-souled  Elector," 
said  Gabriel  softly.  "  Indeed,  I  can  not  do  otherwise,  and  if 
you  could  see  into  my  inner  nature  you  would  know  that  it 
is  impossible  for  me  to  live  longer,  Grant  me  yet  another 


THE  EXECUTION.  34.7 

last  request.  Give  orders  that  Frederick  William  Uhle  re- 
turn to  Joachim's  vale  this  very  day,  and  let  him  remain 
there  until  all  is  over  here." 

"  It  shall  be  done/'  murmured  the  Elector  with  hollow 
voice. 

"  And  now,  sir,  be  pitiful  and  let  me  go  away.  My  soul 
is  weary,  like  my  body." 

"  Well,  be  it  so!  "  cried  the  Elector,  straightening  himself 
up.  "  I  will  grant  you  the  favor  you  ask.  Stay  here  and  see!  " 

He  strode  quickly  to  the  writing  table,  took  a  pen,  and 
with  rapid  strokes  signed  his  name  to  the  document,  which 
he  then  picked  up  and  handed  to  Gabriel  Nietzel. 

"  See  here,"  he  said,  "  I  have  done  what  you  asked  of  me 
as  a  last  favor.  Do  you  know  by  this  that  I  have  good  inten- 
tions toward  you,  and  consider  that  I  prove  my  love  to  you, 
while  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  I  condemn  you?  " 

"  I  know  by  this  that  you  are  a  noble,  magnanimous  Prince. 
Permit  me,  sir,  to  kiss  your  name;  for  this  name  upon  that 
paper  is  for  me  the  word  of  deliverance,  the  announcement 
of  an  end  whose  beginning  is  blessedness!  " 

He  bowed  his  head  over  the  paper  and  kissed  the  name 
which  ratified  his  sentence  of  death. 

"Frederick  William!"  he  said  aloud,  "Elector  of  Bran- 
denburg, blessed  be  your  life!  Great  works  will  you  accom- 
plish, and  posterity  will  encircle  with  fame  the  name  which 
I  have  just  kissed.  With  deadly  intent  the  wretch  Gabriel 
Nietzel  once  stretched  forth  against  you  his  criminal  hand. 
For  this  he  now  goes  to  death,  and  you  live,  live  in  happiness 
and  glory!  We  are  quits!  I  have  now  expiated  my  guilt, 
and  after  the  space  of  two  days,  when  you  think  of  Gabriel 
Nietzel,  lift  up  your  eyes  to  heaven  and  greet  him  with  kindly 
remembrance." 

"  I  shall  do  so,  Gabriel.  It  will  sometimes  be  a  comfort 
to  me  to  think  of  you  in  heaven,  for  I  shall  believe  that  your 
blessed  spirit  also  thinks  of  me  and  looks  down  lovingly  upon 
my  toils  and  conflicts  here  below.  Give  me  your  hand,  Gabriel 
Nietzel.  You  stand  at  the  portals  of  death,  and  there  the 
prince  and  the  beggar  are  equals.  My  soul  speaks  now  to 
yours:  Farewell  until  we  meet  again! " 
23 


348  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  Farewell  until  we  meet  again! "  repeated  Gabriel,  lay- 
ing his  thin,  wasted  fingers  within  the  Elector's  strong,  white 
hand. 

Then,  after  a  short  pause,  Frederick  William  called  his 
chamberlain,  who  hurried  in,  convinced  that  the  moment 
had  come  when  he  was  to  set  out  with  Glaus  for  Kopenick. 

"  Kiinkel,"  said  the  Elector,  with  averted  face,  "  go  down 
now  and  fetch  back  the  men,  that  they  may  again  lead  Glaus 
to  prison.  Hush!  not  a  word!  Go!  " 

Kiinkel  sighed  deeply  and  hastened  to  execute  his  errand. 

"  Sir,"  said  Gabriel  softly,  "  I  beg  that  you  will  have  the 
goodness  to  forward  the  subscribed  sentence  to  the  authorities 
concerned  without  delay;  for  I  understand  that  the  execu- 
tion can  not  take  place  until  twenty-four  hours  afterward." 

"  It  shall  be  attended  to,  Gabriel  Nietzel." 

"  Then,  my  dear  sir,  I  should  like  to  make  one  more  re- 
quest in  behalf  of  my  beloved  son,  or  Frederick  William 
Uhle,  I  should  have  said.  You  have  promised  that  he  shall 
be  taken  into  your  bodyguard;  when  all  is  over  with  me,  will 
your  highness  be  pleased  to  have  him  brought  here  to  Berlin?  " 

"  Yes,  I  will.  He  shall  become  a  member  of  my  own  regi- 
ment and  have  his  lodging  in  the  castle." 

"  And,  sir,  please  have  his  mother's  grave  pointed  out  to 
Frederick  William  Uhle,  that  he  may  pray  there." 

"  He  shall  learn  to  know  it,  Gabriel;  depend  upon  me 
for  that." 

"  I  thank  your  highness.  There  come  my  guards!  Once 
more,  sir,  farewell  until  we  meet  again! " 

The  provost  and  jailer  entered. 

"  Chain  your  prisoner  again  and  lead  him  away,"  was  the 
Elector's  order.  "  But,  hark  ye,  men,  treat  him  humanely 
and  be  compassionate  toward  him." 

He  retired  into  the  window  niche  and  looked  out  into  the 
dark  night.  Behind  him  he  heard  the  clashing  of  the  heavy 
chains  with  which  they  were  again  ironing  the  prisoner,  the 
creaking  of  men's  hard  footsteps,  and  the  jarring  of  doors. 
Then  all  was  still.  But  the  Elector  did  not  turn  around.  He 
opened  the  window  and  let  the  night  wind  cool  his  burning 
brow.  He  looked  up  at  the  sky,  whose  profound  darkness 


THE  EXECUTION.  349 

was  here  and  there  illumined  by  a  shining  star.  All  was  silent, 
save  that  every  now  and  then  a  breeze  caused  a  rustling  among 
the  trees  of  the  pleasure  garden  and  wafted  the  perfume  of 
flowers  into  the  Electoral  apartment.  Suddenly  this  stillness 
was  broken  by  the  loud  rolling  of  departing  carriage  wheels. 
The  Elector  started  and  sighed  heavily. 

"  He  is  gone/'  he  said  in  low  tones.  "  I  will  see  Gabriel 
Metzel  no  more  on  earth.  I  had  become  so  accustomed  to  see- 
ing my  Claus's  good,  sympathetic  countenance  on  going  in 
and  out  of  the  castle  that  I  felt  as  if  something  was  wrong 
the  whole  day  if  he  was  not  in  his  place,  and  was  uneasy  until 
I  saw  him  again.  I  almost,  yes,  I  really  loved  him.  Why 
should  the  Elector  be  ashamed  to  admit  that  he  loved  the 
beggar,  since  no  one  hears  him  save  God  alone?  0  Lord 
my  God!  have  mercy  upon  the  old  beggar;  graciously  take 
to  thy  bosom  his  purified  spirit.  Have  mercy  upon  me,  too, 

0  Lord!   for  I,  too,  am  a  poor  beggar,  praying  for  an  alms 
from  thy  bounty.    Give  it  to  me.    0  Lord!  enlighten  the  eyes 
of  my  understanding  and  fill  my  heart  with  goodness,  that 

1  may  become   the   wise,   beneficent   ruler   of   my   people. 
Amen! " 

He  closed  the  window  and  returned  to  the  cabinet.  How 
blank  and  desolate  it  seemed  to  him  at  this  moment — how 
strangely  did  that  paper  strike  him,  that  death  warrant  lying 
on  his  writing  table! 

"  Has  he  gone,  Kiinkel?  " 

"  Yes,  your  Electoral  Highness,  he  has  gone." 

"  Did  he  say  anything  more?    Did  he  speak  again?  " 

"  No,  your  highness,  not  a  single  word.  Only  as  he  crossed 
the  threshold  of  the  castle  and  stepped  out  into  the  inner 
court,  where  the  carriage  stood,  he  said  with  loud  voice,  '  God 
bless  this  house  and  all  who  dwell  therein! '" 

A  pause  ensued.  Then  Frederick  William  slowly  passed 
his  hand  over  his  eyes.  "  Kiinkel,"  he  said  in  a  low  tone,  "  he 
was  a  good  man — was  Glaus." 

"Yes,  sir,  a  good  and  a  very  unhappy  man.  God  give 
to  his  soul  eternal  peace! " 

"And  to  us  all,  for  we  all  need  it,"  sighed  the  Elector. 
Then,  after  a  short  silence,  he  continued:  "  I  am  thinking 


350  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

of  setting  out  early  to-morrow  morning  on  a  little  trip.  I 
shall  go  to  Potsdam  and  stay  there  three  days.  Make  your 
arrangements  accordingly,  and  now  call  in  my  private  secre- 
tary." 

In  a  few  minutes  the  person  summoned  entered  the  cabi- 
net. The  Elector  was  standing  beside  his  writing  table  look- 
ing at  the  fatal  paper.  "  Take  this/'  he  said  "  affix  our  seal, 
direct  and  forward  it  at  once  to  the  city  court.  In  one  hour 
it  must  be  there." 

Two  days  later,  in  the  early  morning  hours,  an  unusual 
crowd  filled  the  streets  of  Berlin  and  Cologne.  The  whole 
population  seemed  to  know  only  one  and  the  same  aim,  and 
to  have  signaled  each  other  to  repair  to-day  to  the  council 
house  of  Berlin.  An  endless  throng  of  men  pressed  across 
the  long,  wooden  bridge  leading  to  Berlin;  rolling  on  in  a 
black  stream  it  swept  across  the  bridge  to  the  corner  of  Span- 
dow  Street,  where  arose  to  view  the  council  house  with  its 
jutting  balconies  and  small  tower. 

The  master  saddler  Gebhardt,  who  had  likewise  under- 
taken to  keep  a  beershop  in  the  house  left  him  by  his  father, 
had  certainly  no  cause  to  complain  to-day  of  the  locality  of 
his  stand,  and  had  no  longer  any  need  to  envy  gossip  Lehmann, 
who  dwelt  immediately  upon  the  castle  bridge  where  the  sack- 
ing of  the  child  murderess  had  taken  place.  To-day  Geb- 
hardt actually  would  not  have  exchanged  with  the  glovemaker 
Lehmann,  for  his  "barrack"  enabled  him  to  turn  a  pretty 
penny.  He  had  carried  out  the  plan  devised  by  him  on  the 
day  of  Claus's  trial,  and  had  put  up  a  scaffolding,  covered 
it  with  boards,  and  prepared  quite  a  number  of  comfortable 
seats,  which  he  let  for  two  groschen  a  head  to  the  more  well 
to  do  of  the  sight-loving  multitude.  Very  soon  all  these 
seats  were  disposed  of,  and  the  privileged  owners  crowded 
upon  the  improvised  benches,  while  the  multitude  in  dense 
masses  took  possession  of  the  whole  street.  The  city  guards 
were  hardly  able  to  keep  clear  the  little  square  in  front  of  the 
council  house.  On  this  square  arose  the  scaffold,  draped  in 
black,  with  its  low,  white  block  on  which  lay  the  bare  and 
glittering  axe.  At  the  side  stood  two  of  the  executioner's 
servants  in  their  red  woolen  clothes,  the  red  cowl  drawn  so 


THE  EXECUTION.  351 

far  over  the  head  that  the  eyes  were  only  seen  through  open- 
ings inserted  for  the  purpose.  Not  far  from  the  scaffold  they 
had  heaped  up  a  huge  pile  of  straw  and  dry  brush,  over  which 
a  correctly  shaped  open  quadrangle  of  split  wood  had  been 
built  up  into  a  sort  of  altar,  on  whose  top  was  placed  a  grid- 
iron. This  was  the  funeral  pile  prepared  to  receive  the  crimi- 
nal's corpse,  and  to  change  the  human  body  into  a  little  heap 
of  ashes. 

Now  was  heard  in  the  distance  the  hollow  sound  of  the 
beating  of  drums,  and  at  the  same  time  the  bell  in  the  little 
council  house  tower  let  its  low,  monotonous  wailing  be 
heard. 

"  They  come!  they  come!  "  resounded  from  all  sides,  and 
the  burghers  who  had  been  refreshing  themselves  in  Geb- 
hardt's  "  barrack "  with  some  of  his  fine  Eathenower  beer 
set  down  their  cans  and  hurried  out  into  the  street,  while  the 
privileged  ones  on  the  tribune  wrapped  up  again  in  greasy 
paper  the  remains  of  the  edibles  which  they  had  brought 
with  them,  and  hurriedly  thrust  them  into  their  pockets.  For 
now  the  long-expected  moment  had  come,  and  the  show  was 
actually  to  begin.  "They  come!  they  come!"  repeated  the 
crowd.  Then  followed  a  deep,  breathless  silence,  for  every- 
body wanted  to  refresh  his  heart  with  the  music  of  the  drum, 
which  came  nearer  and  nearer,  and  the  sound  of  the  little  bell, 
which  tolled  away  slowly  and  regularly.  The  throng  which 
filled  the  street  leading  to  the  great  prison  separated,  leaving 
a  passage  for  a  cart  drawn  by  one  wretched-looking  horse, 
in  which  sat  the  dramatis  persona  of  the  great  tragedy  which 
was  about  to  be  enacted.  In  the  white  shirt  of  condemned 
criminals  sat  the  culprit  in  the  back  part  of  the  cart,  his  head 
covered  with  a  black  cloth,  such  as  became  a  sorcerer  and  wiz- 
ard, that  his  evil  eye  might  not  bewitch  and  give  over  to  the 
devil  those  upon  whom  it  rested  on  his  way  to  death.  On 
the  front  seat  was  seen  the  prison  priest  in  his  black  gown 
with  short  white  surplice,  holding  a  crucifix  in  his  hand,  and 
at  his  side  the  director  of  the  prison  in  his  long  black  robes. 
At  the  side  of  the  cart,  his  broad  hand  firmly  clutching  the 
ladder  which  served  for  a  side  rail,  walked  the  executioner 
in  his  dress  of  fiery  red,  the  red  cowl  thrown  back  from  the 


352  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

head  so  as  to  disclose  to  view  his  fierce  face  and  the  long  black 
beard  covering  his  chin  and  hanging  down  upon  his  breast. 

But  the  spectators  did  not  like  it  at  all  that  they  could  not 
see  the  principal  actor  in  this  play,  the  condemned  man,  and 
read  upon  his  face  a  little  of  the  torture  and  anguish  which 
he  must  undoubtedly  be  undergoing.  A  discontented  mur- 
mur began  to  make  itself  heard  among  the  mob.  It  in- 
creased with  every  step  made  by  the  procession,  and  finally 
swelled  into  a  roar  of  fury. 

"Pull  the  cloth  off  his  head!  We  want  to  see  him,  we 
want  to  see  Glaus,  the  murderer  and  sorcerer!  " 

This  sounded  from  all  quarters,  and  the  raging  multitude 
pressed  up  so  close  that  the  city  guards  who  followed  the  pro- 
cession, twenty  in  number,  made  haste  to  surround  the  cart 
and  protect  it  against  the  onslaught  of  the  mob. 

"•We  want  to  see  him!  We  will  see  Glaus!  "  was  screamed 
from  all  sides. 

The  minister  stooped  toward  the  executioner,  who  had 
just  turned  inquiringly  to  him.  "  Gratify  the  poor  people," 
he  said.  "  Eemove  the  cloth,  so  that  everybody  can  see  him." 

The  executioner  complied  with  this  request  and  pulled 
down  the  black  cloth  which  covered  Gabriel's  head.  A  uni- 
versal shout  of  joy  rewarded  him.  Now  they  could  see  him — 
the  sorcerer,  the  murderer! 

His  face  was  no  longer  so  pale  and  sunken  as  it  had  been 
of  late.  It  was  as  if  glorified  by  a  ray  of  evening  sunshine. 
His  blue  eyes,  which  used  to  look  so  dull,  were  now  bright 
and  clear,  and  turned  toward  the  spectators  with  an  expres- 
sion of  infinite  mildness  and  serenity,  while  they,  on  their 
part,  greeted  him  with  derisive  shouts  and  jeering  epithets. 
But  gradually  this  clamor  was  hushed.  Beneath  those  soft 
glances  scorn  and  malice  melted  and  changed  into  a  sort  of 
compassion. 

"  He  does  not  look  so  wicked,"  said  some.  "  Nobody  would 
believe  that  this  was  a  sorcerer!  "  cried  others. 

"  Poor  beggar  Glaus! "  sighed  a  couple  of  women,  whose 
lost  cows  he  had  found  a  few  weeks  ago.  At  the  trial  these 
very  women  had  appeared  as  witnesses  against  him,  and  his 
having  known  where  to  find  the  cows  had  been  taken  as  a  proof 


THE  EXECUTION.  353 

of  his  demoniacal  art.  Now,  at  the  sight  of  him,  they  felt 
something  like  remorse,  and  when  the  cart  came  nearer  they 
shrank  back  to  avoid  being  seen  by  him. 

But  he  had  already  seen  them,  and  saluted  them  with  a 
slight  nod  of  the  head  and  a  gentle  smile  of  his  thin  lips. 

Ewald,  the  cobbler,  Wendt,  the  shoemaker,  Fiirberg,  the 
tailor,  and  Kurt,  the  leech,  were  also  among  the  spectators. 
They  had  planted  themselves  close  to  the  scaffold  to  obtain 
a  near  view  of  the  scene.  When  the  cart  drove  up  and  halted 
before  the  scaffold,  they  fixed  their  looks  upon  the  condemned 
man  with  an  expression  of  wicked  malice.  But  what  was 
that  which  suddenly  effaced  this  expression  from  their  counte- 
nances? Why  did  their  cheeks  grow  pale? — why  did  they 
cast  their  eyes  upon  the  ground? 

Glaus  had  looked  at  them.  His  large,  blue  eyes  had  met 
their  glances,  and  they  felt  that  they  were  recognized. 

"  I  wish  I  were  away  from  this  place,"  said  the  tailor 
Fiirberg  amazed.  "  I  do  not  know,  but  I  do  not  believe  I 
could  go  to  execution  with  such  courage." 

Ewald,  the  cobbler,  however,  yielding  to  an  impulse  of  his 
heart,  pressed  close  to  the  scaffold,  whose  first  step  Gabriel 
Nietzel  had  just  mounted,  walking  at  the  preacher's  side. 
"  Glaus! "  he  cried,  with  a  voice  of  entreaty — "  Glaus,  just 
hear  one  more  word!  I  beg  you  to  forgive  me  for  the  harm 
I  did  you,  and  not  to  remember  against  me  up  there  that  I 
laughed  at  you  that  time  about  the  Eebecca  of  whom  you 
talked  to  yourself.  Forgive  me,  poor  Glaus,  for  I  am  truly 
grieved  about  it  now." 

Glaus  turned  and  looked  kindly  at  him.  "  I  have  nothing 
to  forgive  you  for,  Ewald,"  he  said.  "  You  acted  according 
to  your  light,  as  did  the  rest  of  you.  I  thank  you  for  it.  You 
helped  me  to  attain  death,  and  I  am  glad  to  die." 

Again  he  turned  slowly  around  and  mounted  the  steps. 
A  deathlike  stillness  reigned  round  about.  The  multitude 
packed  together  as  closely  as  it  could  stand,  having  taken  pos- 
session of  all  the  streets  opening  upon  the  square.  All  the 
houses,  yes,  and  all  the  roofs,  now  gazed  in  breathless  attention 
upon  that  slender  white  figure,  which  had  just  gained  the 
platform  of  the  scaffold,  and  drew  itself  up  erect  as  if  feeling 


354  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER 

relieved  of  a  burden  and  free  from  all  the  misery  of  this 
world. 

And  so  Gabriel  Nietzel  did  feel  free  and  disincumbered. 
Years  of  pain,  remorse,  and  penance  had  fallen  from  him. 
He  had  passed  through  the  purgatory  of  earthly  torture,  and 
now  knew  that  he  was  at  the  end,  and  that  beyond  he  should 
be  reunited  to  his  Eebecca,  who  would  again  receive  him, 
purified  of  his  sin,  to  her  love  and  her  blessed  embrace.  As 
he  now  glanced  upward  it  seemed  to  him  as  if  the  heavens 
opened  and  the  face  of  his  beloved  looked  down  upon  him  with 
a  heavenly  smile,  beckoning  to  him  with  beaming  eyes.  He 
threw  up  both  arms  toward  her  and  cried:  "  I  come!  I  come! 
Hail  to  thee,  Rebecca!  I  go  to  eternal  peace — to  eternal 
love! " 

He  fell  upon  his  knees  and  laid  his  head  upon  the  block. 
The  executioner  raised  the  axe  and  brandished  it  aloft.  The 
spectators  saw  it  gleam  in  the  air  and  then  drop.  A  dull 
sound  reverberated,  blood  spurted  up,  and  the  head  of  the 
poor  beggar  Claus  feel  from  the  block  upon  the  scaffold. 

The  bell  still  continued  to  toll  and  the  drum  to  beat  a 
hollow  response.  But  the  people  no  longer  huzzaed;  they 
had  grown  still,  and  many  a  mouth  murmured  a  prayer  for 
the  departed.  The  executioner's  attendants  lifted  up  the 
corpse  and  bore  it  with  the  head  across  to  the  pyre,  laid  it  on 
the  gridiron,  and  set  fire  to  the  straw  and  brushwood.  The 
flames  ascended,  and  soon  nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  a  pillar 
of  fire  rising  up  bright  and  high,  from  which  monstrous  black 
clouds  floated  up  to  the  sky.  This  pillar  of  fire  was  Gabriel 
Nietzel's  grave.  And  upon  the  clouds  his  beatified  spirit 
soared  upward  to  heaven. 


THE  DAY  OF  AUDIENCES.  355 


IV. — THE  DAY  OF  AUDIENCES. 

THE  three  days  which  the  Elector  had  allowed  himself 
to  spend  in  retirement  and  solitude  at  his  little  hunting  seat 
at  Potsdam  had  expired,  and  he  had  returned  to  his  city  resi- 
dence on  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day.  His  countenance 
had  again  assumed  its  expression  of  open  cheerfulness,  his  eye 
was  once  more  clear  and  bright;  only  for  a  moment  was  it 
obscured,  as  his  carriage  drove  up  to  the  castle  and  his  glance 
was  directed  to  the  spot  where  Gabriel  Nietzel  had  been  ac- 
customed to  stand  and  greet  him  on  his  return  home  to 
Berlin.  To-day  this  spot  was  empty,  and  the  Elector  knew 
that  the  melancholy  yet  tender  eyes  of  his  dear  beggar  Glaus 
would  never  again  look  up  to  and  welcome  him.  But  he 
asked  no  question  concerning  him  or  his  death,  and  when 
Kiinkel  ventured  unbidden  to  speak  of  the  recent  execution, 
the  Elector  signed  to  him  with  his  hand  to  desist. 

"  Glaus  is  now  before  the  throne  of  God  on  high,"  he  said; 
"he  has  done  with  suffering,  and,  because  I  know  that  and 
rejoice  in  it,  I  would  not  distress  my  mind  with  thoughts 
of  what  his  poor  body  must  have  suffered.  Be  silent,  there- 
fore, on  the  subject.  Besides,  I  have  a  great  deal  to  do  to-day, 
and  many  audiences  to  grant.  Are  there  many  persons  in  the 
hall?" 

"  Yes,  your  Electoral  Grace,  it  has  been  long  since  I  have 
seen  the  grand  antechamber  so  thronged." 

"  They  come  at  my  summons.  Call  in  my  gentleman  of 
the  bedchamber,  von  Maltzan,  that  he  may  report  to  me. 
But  you  go  without  delay  to  the  Electress,  and  say  to  her 
Electoral  Grace  that  I  crave  her  forgiveness  for  not  going 
to  her  immediately  in  consideration  of  my  having  important 
audiences  to  grant.  But  so  soon  as  these  are  over  I  shall  do 
myself  the  honor  of  waiting  upon  her.  Then  go  also  to  her 
royal  Highness  the  Princess  of  the  Palatinate,  present  my 
most  humble  compliments  to  that  lady,  and " 

"  Your  Electoral  Grace,  excuse  me  for  venturing  to  inter- 
rupt you,  but  both  ladies  drove  yesterday  to  Boetzow  and  are 
not  expected  to  return  before  noon." 


356  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  Then  call  my  gentleman  of  the  bedchamber  here! 

"  It  seems,  then,  that  the  two  cousins  are  on  the  best  of 
terms,"  said  Frederick  William  to  himself,  as  soon  as  he  was 
alone.  "  I  should  never  have  thought  it,  yet  I  am  glad  of  it 
because  it  proves  to  me  that  the  Princess  knows  how  to  sub- 
mit, and  that  she  is  in  earnest  in  her  efforts  to  win  her  cousin's 
love.  That  will  be  pleasant,  for  it  is  true  the  Princess's  com- 
pany is  very  agreeable,  and  she  is  mistress  of  the  art  of  wiling 
away  time  and  saying  what  is  witty  and  interesting 

"  Well,  Maltzan,"  he  said  to  that  gentleman,  who  now 
entered,  "  tell  me  who  are  all  those  people  in  the  antecham- 
ber? " 

"Your  highness,  there  are  the  court  preacher  Bergius 
and  the  pastor  of  the  Nicolai  Church,  Pommarius." 

"They  have  been  summoned.    Who  else?" 

"  Then  there  is  a  deputation  from  the  Brandenburg 
States." 

"Who  else?" 

"  Two  gentlemen  who  do  not  understand  a  word  of  Ger- 
man, and  speak  very  poor  French.  I  could  only  make  out 
that  they  came  from  Dresden,  and  that  your  highness's  am- 
bassador there  has  given  them  a  letter  to  your  Electoral  Grace, 
written  in  his  own  hand." 

"  I  know  who  they  are,  and  am  glad  that  they  are  here," 
said  the  Elector,  with  a  bright  smile.  "  You  have  named  all, 
have  you  ?  " 

"  No,  your  highness,  Burgomaster  Wegelin  is  also  in  the 
antechamber  and  begs  for  a  gracious  hearing.  Then  last  of 
all  came  a  little  bit  of  a  man,  who  urgently  entreats  for  an 
audience  as  he  has  traveled  forty  miles  on  foot  to  seek  a  per- 
sonal interview  with  your  Electoral  Highness.  The  poor  man 
looks  dusty  and  poverty-stricken;  he  says  that  he  did  not 
rest  at  all,  but  that,  just  as  soon  as  he  got  to  Berlin,  only  paus- 
ing to  go  into  a  church,  he  straightway  inquired  the  way  to 
the  castle,  that  he  might  speak  with  the  beloved  Sovereign, 
for  whose  sake  he  had  passed  eight  days  and  eight  nights  on 
the  road." 

"  The  man  pleases  me;  he  shall  have  his  audience.  But 
he  must  first  rest  and  refresh  himself  a  little.  Have  the  poor 


THE  DAY  OF  AUDIENCES.  357 

traveler  carried  into  the  kitchen,  and  there  supplied  with 
food  and  drink.  Then  let  one  of  the  servants  help  him  to 
wash  and  dress,  and  in  two  hours'  time  he  must  again  be  found 
in  the  anteroom.  We  shall  then  probably  have  gotten  through 
with  the  other  audiences,  and  his  turn  is  to  come  last.  I 
shall  first  receive  the  gentlemen  from  Dresden,  then  Burgo- 
master Wegelin.  The  deputation  from  the  States  follows  him, 
and  afterward  the  preachers  Bergius  and  Pommarius.  You 
now  know  what  the  order  is,  take  your  measures  accordingly, 
and  attend  to  the  poor  foot  traveler  for  me.  Let  them  come  in 
now." 

The  gentleman  of  the  bedchamber  hurried  out,  and  im- 
mediately afterward  the  two  foreigners  were  ushered  into  the 
Electoral  cabinet. 

"  You  come  from  Dresden,  gentlemen,"  said  the  Elector 
in  fluent  French,  "  and,  as  I  hear,  are  the  bearers  of  a  letter 
for  me  from  my  agent  there?  " 

The  two  gentlemen  bowed,  and  one  of  them,  reverentially 
approaching  the  Elector,  handed  him  a  great  sealed  packet, 
which,  full  of  lively  curiosity,  he  hastened  to  break  open.  It 
was,  in  truth,  a  letter  from  Baron  von  Plotzen,  who  had  been 
sent  by  the  Elector  Frederick  William  as  envoy  extraordinary 
to  the  Electoral  court  of  Saxony  to  settle  some  disputes  about 
boundaries,  in  behalf  of  Magdeburg  and  Halberstadt. 

The  communication  ran  as  follows: 

"  Your  Electoral  Highness  did  me  the  honor  of  commis- 
sioning me  while  here  to  engage  a  few  members  of  the  Elec- 
toral choir  for  my  most  gracious  master's  service.  I  have 
succeeded  in  so  doing,  but  will  not  conceal  that  it  was  at- 
tended with  some  difficulties,  and  will  cost  your  Electoral 
Grace  some  sacrifices.  They  are  flush  of  money  here  in  the 
Electorate  of  Saxony,  and  consequently  the  members  of  the 
choir  are  better  paid  than  elsewhere.  I  have  succeeded  in 
persuading  two  very  good  musicians,  the  one  a  bass  singer, 
the  other  who  sings  with  a  higher  voice — I  believe  they  call 
it  a  tenor — to  enter  the  Electoral  service.  But  I  have  an- 
nexed some  conditions  which  seemed  to  me  unavoidable.  For 
instance,  that  I  might  engage  these  Italian  musicians  for 


358  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

your  highness,  I  was  obliged  to  offer  them  some  inducements, 
for  Italians  are  mightily  influenced  by  mercenary  considera- 
tions. They  receive  here  a  salary  of  six  hundred  dollars  per 
annum,  in  return  for  which  they  sing  three  times  a  week  in 
the  Electoral  apartments,  and  also  intone  sacred  music  in 
church  after  the  sermon.  I  have  now  insured  to  these  people 
a  yearly  income  of  seven  hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  on  con- 
dition, however,  that  their  singing  is  satisfactory  to  your  Elec- 
toral Grace.  But  in  case  that  they  do  not  please,  I  have  agreed 
that  your  highness  shall  pay  each  of  them  fifty  dollars  by  way 
of  indemnity,  and  allow  them  to  remain  three  days  in  the 
Electoral  castle,  to  rest  themselves  before  setting  out  on  their 
return  here.  That  your  Electoral  Grace  may  not  feel  ham- 
pered in  making  your  decision,  note,  in  conclusion,  that  no- 
body here  knows  aught  of  my  agreement  with  these  singers. 
Up  to  this  time  they  are  engaged  here  at  Dresden,  and  have 
only  asked  an  eight  days'  leave  of  absence  for  the  purpose 
of  making  a  little  trip.  In  case,  therefore,  that  your  Elec- 
toral Grace  prefers  to  send  them  back  under  the  above-named 
conditions,  no  objection  can  be  made.  I  remain  until  death 
"  Your  Electoral  Grace's  most  humble  servant, 

FREDERICK  VON  PLOTZEN." 

The  Elector  thoughtfully  folded  up  the  letter,  and  with 
difficulty  suppressed  a  heavy  sigh.  Then  he  fixed  his  glance 
upon  the  two  Italians,  who  with  their  great  black  eyes  were 
looking  at  him  inquiringly  and  full  of  expectancy. 

"  Have  you  brought  your  notes  with  you,  so  as  to  sing 
something  for  us?  "  asked  the  Elector. 

"  That  was  not  necessary,  gracious  sir,"  said  one  of  them. 
"  We  carry  all  our  music  in  our  hearts  and  heads,  and  your 
highness  need  only  specify  what  master's  operas  we  shall  sing, 
and  we  will  obey." 

Frederick  William  felt  somewhat  embarrassed.  He  loved 
music  passionately  and  was  himself  a  performer  upon  the 
spinet  and  violin,  and  often  had  found  entertainment  in  mak- 
ing music  with  his  wife,  especially  in  playing  duets,  when 
Louisa  played  upon  the  spinet  and  he  upon  the  violin.  These 
(Juets  and  other  musical  pieces  had  been  composed  and  tran- 


THE  DAY  OF  AUDIENCES.  359 

scribed  expressly  for  the  purpose  by  the  organist  and  musical 
director  of  the  Nicolai  church,  John  Criiger,  and  Ilobert 
Eobertin  had  also  composed  some  fine  things  for  the  spinet 
and  other  instruments.  Moreover,  the  singers  of  the  Electoral 
choir,  some  of  whom  the  Elector  had  had  brought  from  The 
Hague,  used  to  sing  many  beautiful  arias  for  him,  but  he  had 
forgotten  to  ask  the  names  of  their  composers.  Nor,  too,  had 
he  ever  heard  an  opera;  that  was  an  Italian  invention,  which 
had  hardly  penetrated  yet  to  the  north  of  Germany.  And 
now  these  singers  expected  him  to  name  the  Italian  masters, 
selections  from  whose  works  he  would  like  them  to  sing. 

He  felt  somewhat  embarrassed.  He  knew  none  of  those 
composers'  names,  and  neither  did  his  wife.  But  there  was 
the  Princess  Ludovicka.  She  certainly  had  a  more  familiar 
acquaintance  with  these  things;  she  was  herself  a  distin- 
guished amateur,  and  just  a  few  days  ago  had  told  Math  rap- 
ture of  the  delightful  theatrical  entertainment?  held  in  Paris 
at  King  Louis's  court.  Princess  Ludovicka  could  most  assur- 
edly suggest  operatic  pieces  suitable  for  these  singers  to  exe- 
cute. And  how  pleasant  it  was  to  have  such  a  witty  and  pol- 
ished lady  at  his  court! 

So  thought  Frederick  William,  and  at  that  moment  he 
thanked  her  for  having  stayed,  and  resolved  to  tell  her  how 
highly  gratified  he  now  felt  by  her  presence.  He  bade  the  two 
singers  for  the  present  to  report  themselves  to  the  major-domo, 
who  would  assign  them  their  rooms;  in  the  afternoon  he 
would  have  them  called,  and  test  their  powers  of  song. 

"  Though  if  they  were  to  sing  like  nightingales,"  said 
the  Elector,  when  they  had  gone  out,  "  yet  I  could  not  keep 
them,  for  where  could  I  procure  money  enough  to  pay  such 
expensive  birds?  I  am  really  a  poor  man,  with  obstinate  States 
and  cities,  who  will  vote  me  no  money." 

It  was  unfortunate  for  Herr  Wegelin,  Burgomaster  of 
Berlin,  that  his  reception  took  place  just  now,  for  the  Elec- 
tor's brow  was  clouded  and  his  mood  severe. 

"Well,"  he  called  out,  "what  brings  you  to  me  again? 
As  soon  as  I  see  the  stern  lords  of  Berlin  coming,  I  know  be- 
forehand that  they  have  some  complaint  to  set  up  or  griev- 
ance to  redress.  Or  maybe  you  have  hunted  up  some  other 


360  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

unfortunate,  whom  you  can  charge  with  witchcraft,  and  by 
means  of  whose  death  you  can  prepare  a  congenial  entertain- 
ment for  the  bloodthirsty  populace  of  Berlin." 

"  Your  Electoral  Highness  seems  very  unfavorably  dis- 
posed to  the  cities  and  magistrates  of  Berlin  and  Cologne," 
said  the  burgomaster,  with  a  painful  sigh. 

"  It  is  true,  I  have  no  great  love  for  the  uproarious,  pert, 
and  obstinate  people  of  Berlin  and  Cologne!  "  cried  the  Elec- 
tor passionately.  "  Their  mouths  are  always  full  of  big  words, 
but  of  deeds  nothing  is  ever  heard.  They  ijiink  themselves 
knowing  and  clever,  yet  are  only  knowing  in  vices  and  follies. 
But  the  arts  and  sciences,  manufactures  and  commerce  lie 
prostrate,  and  Berlin  and  Cologne  must  needs  shrink  back 
in  shame  from  comparison  with  other  capital  cities  of  Ger- 
many. Their  boastfulness,  though,  never  ceases,  and  this 
saucy  Berlin  has  learned  from  its  Burgomaster  Wegelin  and 
its  proud  aldermen.  The  burgomaster  is  always  in  the  opposi- 
tion, and  esteems  himself  to  be  the  lord  and  ruler  here,  who 
alone  has  power  to  say  what  is  law  and  right." 

"  Not  alone,  your  highness,"  said  the  burgomaster,  with 
reverential  mien  but  firm  voice — "not  alone,  your  highness; 
but  he  has  a  word  to  say  when  the  question  concerns  the 
welfare  of  the  city,  whose  burgomaster  he  has  the  honor  of 
being.  But  permit  me,  sir,  to  say  a  few  words  in  defense  of 
the  unhappy  cities  of  Berlin  and  Cologne.  Your  highness 
says  that  they  are  far  behind  the  other  princely  residences 
of  Germany,  and  that  the  arts  and  sciences,  commerce  and 
manufactures  are  in  a  miserable  condition  here.  Since  your 
highness  says  so,  it  must  be  true.  Meanwhile  I  beg  your  grace 
to  consider  what  a  long  series  of  misfortunes  we  have  experi- 
enced, how  much  affliction  and  distress  we  have  endured 
for  more  than  fifty  years,  and  how  war  has  desolated  and 
laid  waste  the  cities  and  whole  country  hereabout.  The 
citizens  live  in  wretchedness  and  want;  owners  of  property 
have  no  money  wherewith  to  rebuild  their  houses,  half 
burned  or  totally  destroyed  by  the  soldiery.  And  where 
poverty  and  misery  are  at  home,  art  and  science  can  not 
flourish." 

"  And  where  frivolity,  love  of  pleasure,  and  disorderliness 


THE  DAY  OF  AUDIENCES.  361 

are  at  home,"  cried  the  Elector,  "  still  less  can  they  flour- 
ish! You  say  the  citizens  of  Berlin  and  Cologne  are  poor  and 
wretched,  and  yet  they  pursue  all  sorts  of  trifling  amusements. 
The  women  dress  with  an  extravagance  that  is  really  shame- 
ful, while  the  men,  instead  of  working  and  providing  for  their 
families,  frequent  beerhouses  and  spend  hours  in  watching 
the  tricks  of  jugglers  and  puppet  men  who  practice  their  trade 
upon  the  streets  and  squares,  and  often  even  station  them- 
selves at  the  church  doors,  so  that,  when  the  afternoon  service 
is  over  and  men  have  slept  themselves  tired,  they  may  enjoy 
a  puppet  show.  And  all  this  the  burgomasters  of  Berlin  and 
Cologne  put  up  with!  They  even  allow  the  scholars  of  the 
gymnasia  here  to  act  plays  and  appear  in  ridiculous  farces. 
And  now  tell  me,  Sir  Burgomaster,  what  is  the  matter  to-day, 
and  wherefore  have  you  come  ?  " 

"  Your  Electoral  Highness,"  replied  the  burgomaster, 
proudly  lifting  up  his  head,  which  hitherto  had  been  bowed 
in  lowly  reverence,  "  I  have  come,  to  my  own  sorrow  and  re- 
gret, to  make  a  most  humble  representation  to  your  high- 
ness, and  to  beseech  you  to  make  allowances  for  our  poor  city 
and  not  to  require  too  much." 

"  Where  does  the  '  too  much  '  begin,  Sir  Burgomaster?  " 
"  Your  highness,  where  the  law  ends.  The  law  declares 
that  the  government  of  the  cities  of  Berlin  and  Cologne  de- 
volves upon  their  burgomasters  and  aldermen.  Since  the 
year  1649  both  cities  again  agreed  as  to  the  mode  in  which 
their  government  was  to  be  administered,  and  your  highness 
gave  your  approval  to  this  agreement.  The  city  of  Berlin 
chooses  two  burgomasters  and  one  half  of  the  aldermen,  the 
city  of  Cologne  one  burgomaster  and  the  other  half  of  the 
aldermen.  As  a  matter  of  form,  the  names  of  those  appointed 
were  laid  before  the  Elector  for  ratification,  and  then  every 
year  on  St.  Thomas's  Day  it  has  been  the  custom  to  intro- 
duce the  officers  elected  into  the  senate  house.  The  task  in- 
trusted to  the  burgomasters  and  aldermen  is  to  manage  the 
city  property,  to  care  for  law  and  order,  to  regulate  the  police, 
to  punish  criminals,  to  protect  the  well-disposed,  to  aid  the 
citizens  in  their  distresses,  and  represent  them  before  his  Elec- 
toral Grace." 


3G2  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  And  you  are  here  to-day  in  the  character  of  their  repre- 
sentative, are  you  not?  " 

"  Yes,  your  Electoral  Grace,  I  am.  I  must  in  the  name 
of  both  cities — for  the  Burgomaster  of  Cologne  is  sick  and 
has  commissioned  me  to  speak  in  his  behalf — I  must,  in  the 
name  of  both  cities,  most  urgently  beseech  your  grace  to  be 
pleased  to  leave  in  our  hands  the  administration  of  town 
affairs,  for  the  discharge  of  which  duties  we  were  elected 
by  the  inhabitants,  and  for  which  we  are  paid.  Of  late,  how- 
ever, your  highness  has  issued  so  many  orders  that  we  do  not 
know  at  all  how  we  can  execute  them,  and  the  burghers  must 
be  utterly  ruined  if  everything  is  to  be  stopped,  as  is  the  pur- 
port of  the  orders.  Now,  I  beg  your  grace  to  abstain  from 
carrying  out  these  orders,  which  can  not  be  conformable  to 
the  views  of  the  burgomasters  and  aldermen,  to  whom  belongs 
the  management  of  the  city,  according  to  law  and  justice." 

"  You  mean  to  say  by  that!  "  cried  the  Elector,  with  boil- 
ing indignation,  "  that  I  trouble  myself  about  matters  which 
concern  me  not,  and  that  it  is  for  the  burgomasters  and  alder- 
men of  Berlin  alone  to  command  here,  to  issue  orders  and 
make  regulations?  " 

"  Your  highness,  the  cities  of  Berlin  and  Cologne  have, 
of  course,  their  own  free  constitution,  and  there  stands  on 
Broad  Street,  not  far  from  the  cathedral,  the  stone  which  for 
ages  has  marked  the  spot  where  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Elec- 
toral officer  ceases  and  the  jurisdiction  of  the  city  commences." 

"I  shall  have  that  stone  thrown  down!"  cried  the  Elec- 
tor angrily.  "I  will  prove  to  the  cities,  the  burgomasters 
and  aldermen,  that  the  old  times  of  insubordination  and  dis- 
obedience are  over,  and  that  you  must  all  submit  yourselves 
to  me,  your  Elector  and  Sovereign!  I  have  done  the  cities 
of  Berlin  and  Cologne  the  honor  of  exalting  them  to  be  my 
capitals.  Here  in  Cologne  I  am  having  reared  a  new  Electoral 
palace,  instead  of  the  old  tumble-down  castle.  And  I  choose 
that  my  places  of  residence  shall  do  honor  to  their  Prince. 
I  tell  you,  man,  in  spite  of  you,  I  shall  lift  my  cities  out  of 
mire  and  wretchedness.  And  I  care  not  if,  in  effecting  my 
object,  I  do  restrict  your  liberties  and  infringe  upon  your 
rights.  But  you  would  only  maintain  these  rights  in  order 


THE  DAY  OF  AUDIENCES.  363 

to  retard  the  progress  which  I  am  bent  upon  making,  and 
your  liberties  must  consist  in  nothing  but  following  the  old 
beaten  track,  and  living  on  in  dirt.  I  have  ordered  the  hog- 
sty  s  to  be  removed  from  the  streets  and  transferred  to  the 
yards;  and  so  it  stands!  I  have  decreed  that  those  citi- 
zens who  keep  four  hogs  should  have  three  of  them  slaugh- 
tered, and  instead  procure  a  cow,  and  to  such  I  have  granted 
free  pasturage  in  the  park,  and  offered  to  have  them  in- 
structed in  the  management  of  the  dairy,  free  of  charge,  by 
the  Dutch  whom  I  have  had  brought  here  for  the  purpose. 
So  it  stands!  I  have  ordered  all  filth  to  be  removed  from 
the  streets,  and  that  every  peasant  who  comes  to  town  with 
a  loud  of  corn  or  pease  shall  carry  off  a  load  of  manure. 
And  so  that  stands!  It  is  also  fixed  that  the  citizens  shall 
undertake  the  service  of  grading  the  town  and  exercise  them- 
selves in  military  movements.  I  once  more  commit  to  you 
the  appointing  of  a  few  watchmen,  to  cry  the  hours  and  to 
go  about  the  streets  by  night.  Lamps,  too,  shall  be  lighted 
when  it  is  dark,  that  everybody  may  see  which  way  he  is 
going,  and  whom  he  meets.  But  as  to  the  tax  which  I  have 
assessed  to  Berlin,  I  shall  demand  it  by  force  if  you  will  not 
give  it  in  friendliness!  I  tell  you,  Wegelin,  you  had  better 
bow  your  head  and  be  humble;  for  I  alone  am  lord  here,  to 
give  laws,  and  it  is  your  part  to  see  that  they  are  executed. 
I  expect  yet  to  live  to  see  the  day  when  Berlin  shall  emerge 
from  her  misery  and  mire,  and  become  a  large,  wealthy,  and 
handsome  city,  where  business  shall  thrive  and  the  arts 
flourish.  And  then  shall  I  exclaim  with  pride:  *  This  is  my 
work!  And  what  Berlin  is,  she  became  through  her  Elec- 
tor and  not  through  her  burgomasters! '  There  you  have  my 
answer,  Wegelin.  Go  and  think  it  over.  You  are  dismissed!  " 

The  burgomaster  would  nevertheless  have  dared  to 
reply,  but  the  Elector  cut  him  short  at  the  first  words  by 
striking  the  glass  bell  on  the  table  with  a  little  silver  ham- 
mer, thereby  summoning  Heir  von  Maltzan  into  the  cabi- 
net. 

"  Let  the  deputation  from  the  States  enter  and  conduct 
the  burgomaster  out,"  commanded  the  Elector,  and  before 
Wegelin  had  quite  reached  the  door,  toward  which  he  moved 
24 


364  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

silently  and  with  bowed  head,  the  four  deputies  of  the  States 
were  already  within  the  room. 

"  Welcome,  gentlemen! "  called  out  the  Elector,  "  wel- 
come if  you  bring  me  good  news!  You  have  requested  an 
audience,  and  I  have  granted  you  one.  Tell  me  what  brings 
you  here." 

"  Your  highness,  the  country's  distress  and  the  impos- 
sibility of  raising  the  new  tax  imposed,"  replied  Baron  von 
Arnim,  the  spokesman  of  the  deputation. 

"  The  old  song,  the  everlasting  complaint.  You  think 
that  there  can  be  no  ruling  without  you,  and  yet,  as  soon  as 
you  are  called  upon  to  take  your  share  of  the  government 
by  designating  the  ways  and  means  by  which  can  be  procured 
the  money  needful  for  the  support  of  the  land  and  govern- 
ment, you  have  no  other  answer  to  give  than  that  it  is  impos- 
sible to  collect  taxes.  Just  tell  me,  gentlemen,  how  one  can 
govern  a  country,  care  for  its  improvement,  and  maintain 
law  and  order  intact  with  no  money  and  no  sources  of  in- 
come? " 

"  But,  your  highness,  the  poor  inhabitants  of  the  Mark 
have  no  money  or  sources  of  income  either,"  replied  von 
Arnim,  sighing.  "  And  if  the  possibility  of  making  anything 
is  continually  diminished,  they  will  at  last  lose  heart  alto- 
gether, and  no  longer  be  able  to  earn  anything." 

"And  by  what  means  are  their  gains  diminished  and 
their  spirits  broken?" 

"Your  highness,  by  the  introduction  into  the  land  of 
so  many  strangers  and  foreigners.  For  that  reason  we  now 
appear  before  your  highness  in  the  name  of  the  States.  Most 
urgently  do  they  beg  and  beseech  your  grace  henceforward 
to  condescend  to  refrain  from  attracting  so  many  foreigners 
here." 

An  expression  of  painful  astonishment  flitted  across  the 
Elector's  face,  and  the  luster  of  his  eye  was  dimmed. 

"This,  then,  is  the  return  I  get,"  he  said,  "for  all  the 
painstaking  and  solicitude,  which  I  have  given  myself  for 
the  Mark!  Everything  is  in  a  wretched  state  here — agri- 
culture, tillage,  cattle  rearing,  all  languish.  Not  so  much 
because  the  inhabitants  have  had  many  hardships  to  endure, 


THE  DAY  OF  AUDIENCES.  365 

but  rather  because  they  understand  nothing  of  all  these 
things,  and  know  not  how  to  turn  to  advantage  what  they 
still  possess.  To  benefit  my  subjects,  therefore,  to  excite 
their  emulation  by  showing  them  good  examples,  I  offered 
inducements  to  Dutch  farmers  and  gardeners  to  settle  here, 
paid  their  traveling  expenses,  assigned  land  to  them,  and 
hoped  by  their  influence  to  effect  a  reform  among  my  own 
people.  And  now  you  gentlemen  come  and  complain  of  the 
very  thing  I  was  doing  purely  out  of  regard  for  you,  as  your 
faithful  Sovereign!  Instead  of  thanking  me  for  my  interest, 
you  come  to  complain  that  I  have  done  the  country  an  in- 
jury by  what  was  meant  solely  for  its  advantage.  Look 
around  you,  sirs,  behold  how  flourishing  the  country  begins 
to  look  once  more;  how  much  better  and  more  profitable 
is  the  mode  of  culture  pursued;  what  returns  the  meadows 
begin  to  make  by  furnishing  fodder  for  cows;  what  splendid 
gardens  have  been  made  out  of  fields  once  fallow,  now 
abounding  in  various  kinds  of  vegetables,  and  resplendent 
with  rare  and  beautiful  flowers!  All  this  you  owe  to  the 
thrifty,  untiring  Dutch  whom  I  have  attracted  to  the  country. 
Verily,  I  quite  prided  myself  upon  this  action,  and  it  grieves 
me  to  see  in  what  a  spirit  you  take  it,  and  how  little  you  seem 
to  comprehend  that  all  my  thoughts  and  deeds  have  been 
directed  to  benefitting  my  subjects,  and  helping  them  to 
conquer  the  difficulties  of  their  situation  and  be  again  estab- 
lished in  easier  and  more  comfortable  circumstances." 

"Your  highness,  the  immigration  of  Dutch  and  other 
foreigners  is  not  the  worst  thing  of  which  we  have  to  com- 
plain in  the  name  of  our  constituents.  Much  worse  yet  is 
it  that  men  have  been  invited  here  from  your  highness's  other 
lands  and  provinces,  and  invested  with  Electoral  appoint- 
ments, thereby  mortifying  the  Markers  and  thrusting  them 
into  the  background." 

"  Ah!  you  allude  to  my  having  lately  invited  here  a  few 
officers  from  Cleves — and  Prussia,  too,  I  believe — and  having 
given  them  Government  offices." 

"Yes,  your  highness,  that  is  what  has  filled  the  States, 
and  country  too,  with  care  and  uneasiness.  Years  ago  the 
Rhenish  provinces  obtained  from  your  highness  the  privilege 


366  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

of  having  their  courts  and  colleges  represented  by  no  foreign 
officials,  but  that,  on  the  other  hand,  all  positions  should 
be  filled  by  natives  of  the  country.  Your  highness  bestowed 
the  like  privilege  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the  duchy  of  Prus- 
sia. Only  the  inhabitants  of  the  Mark  enjoy  no  such  im- 
munity, and  must  submit  to  seing  foreigners  brought  among 
them  and  supplied  with  offices,  while  we  have  no  lack  of  men 
at  home  well  fitted  for  filling  such  positions." 

"As  if  you  gentlemen  were  always  the  judges  of  that!  " 
cried  the  Elector,  with  a  mocking  smile,  "  and  as  if  it  became 
you  to  obtrude  upon  me,  your  Sovereign  Prince,  your  opinion 
on  the  subject! " 

"  Your  highness,  we  have  only  been  commissioned  to  beg 
and  implore  your  highness,  in  the  name  of  the  States,  to  grant 
us  the  same  prerogatives  which  you  have  accorded  to  your 
other  provinces,  that  we  may  not  be  forced  to  believe  that 
the  Mark  Brandenburg  ocupies  a  lower  place  in  your  affec- 
tions than  those  other  lands." 

"  For  that  very  reason  you  should  rather  have  supposed 
that  I  preferred  the  Mark  Brandenburg,  because  I  was  in- 
fusing fresh  vigor  into  her,  and  striving  to  engage  in  her 
behalf  the  best  and  ablest  minds." 

"  Your  highness,  God  be  thanked  that  here  at  home  there 
is  no  lack  of  able  minds  and  prudent  men  prepared  to  dis- 
charge with  dignity  the  duties  of  any  office  which  might 
devolve  upon  them.  Grant  to  the  faithful  deputies  of  the 
Mark  Brandenburg  a  token  of  your  favor  b'y  agreeing  that 
no  foreigner  shall  be  invested  with  any  public  office  among 
them,  though  he  should  come  from  the  closely  contiguous 
bishopric  of  Magdeburg.  Let  none  but  natives  hold  office 
among  us.  If  your  Electoral  Highness  will  bestow  upon  us 
this  token  of  regard,  we,  for  our  part,  agree  to  set  ourselves 
zealously  to  work  to  gratify  the  Electoral  desires,  and  put 
every  means  in  motion  to  make  it  possible  for  the  Mark 
Brandenburg  to  pay  to  your  grace  in  three  years  the  required 
sum  of  forty-five  thousand  dollars  for  the  maintenance  of 
your  soldiers."  * 

"  Well,  then !  "  cried  the  Elector,  shrugging  his  shoulders, 
*  See  King,  Description  of  Berlin,  part  2. 


PREACHER  AND  TAILOR.  3C7 

"  at  this  price  I  must  yield  to  your  narrow  and  short-sighted 
views,  although  I  tell  you  that  by  such  narrow-mindedness 
you  injure  far  more  than  you  benefit  the  Mark,  and  shut 
the  door  upon  enlightenment.  But,  alas!  I  must  have  money 
for  clothing  and  feeding  my  soldiers,  that  I  may  establish 
military  affairs  upon  a  firm  and  solid  basis.  Therefore  I  must 
accept  the  bargain  you  offer  me,  and  shall  announce  to  you 
at  the  next  session  of  the  Diet  that  you  are  at  liberty  to  adhere 
to  your  own  limited  point  of  view,  and  that  you  can  draw 
the  narrowest  boundaries  around  your  fatherland,  not  even 
recognizing  as  countrymen  the  inhabitants  of  my  other 
provinces.  Go  with  this  my  answer  to  those  who  sent  you. 
Only,  see  to  it  that  the  sums  required  for  the  support  of  the 
military  be  forthcoming  without  more  ado.  Go  then,  and 
convey  my  friendly  salutations  to  the  loyal  States!  " 


V. — PREACHER  AND  TAILOR. 

"  WELL,  I  shall  get  the  pay  for  my  soldiers  now,"  said  the 
Elector,  after  the  withdrawal  of  the  deputation,  "  but  it 
grieves  me  that  they  annexed  to  the  grant  such  a  stupid  and 
illiberal  condition.  Simple  men  they  are,  fancying  them- 
selves wise  in  their  folly  and  strong  in  their  weakness.  They 
see  nothing  beyond  the  present  day  and  hour,  and  are  dis- 
turbed by  no  cares  for  the  morrow.  And  they  make  it  mat- 
ter for  reproach  that  I  look  farther,  and  have  higher  aims 
in  view.  They  misunderstand  my  efforts  to  do  them  good, 
and  reward  me  with  ingratitude.  However  little  a  man  may 
have  been  influenced  in  his  action  by  the  expectation  of 
being  thanked,  still,  ingratitude  must  always  be  painful.  I 
feel  weary  and  utterly  dispirited  by  all  these  things,  and 
would  therefore  willingly  be  excused  from  an  interview  with 
those  two  wrangling  preachers,  at  least  for  to-day." 

He  struck  the  bell  and  ordered  Herr  von  Maltzan  to  ask 
the  two  preachers  to  call  again  the  next  day,  as  well  as  any 
other  persons  who  might  be  waiting  in  the  antechamber  to 


3G8  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

obtain  an  audience.  The  gentleman  of  the  bedchamber  bowed 
silently  and  was  in  the  act  of  retiring  when  the  Elector  called 
him  back. 

"  I  had  well-nigh  forgotten  the  poor  traveler,  and  I  should 
have  been  sorry  for  that  afterward.  He  took  an  eight  days' 
journey  to  reach  me,  and  therefore  I  shall  not  keep  the  poor 
man  waiting  any  longer.  Bring  him  in,  Maltzan." 

"  I  thank  your  grace  for  this  condescending  permission," 
said  Maltzen,  bowing.  "  It  would  have  really  grieved  me  if 
the  poor  little  man  had  been  obliged  to  go  off  without  having 
effected  his  object.  He  would  not  consent  to  take  either 
food  or  drink,  because  he  said  that  he  had  made  a  vow  neither 
to  eat  nor  drink  in  Berlin  before  speaking  with  your  high- 
ness. Besides,  immediately  on  his  arrival  he  had  strength- 
ened himself  by  prayer,  and  would  need  no  further  restora- 
tive, even  should  he  have  to  wait  four-and-twenty  hours  be- 
fore gaining  admittance  to  your  highness's  presence." 

"  Maltzan,  let  him  come  in  directly.  It  pleases  me  to  see, 
that  you  have  such  a  kind  and  sympathizing  heart." 

A  few  moments  after  Herr  von  Maltzan  had  withdrawn 
the  cabinet  door  was  softly  opened,  and  a  lean,  little  man 
entered  and  timidly  paused  near  the  door.  It  was  a  strange 
apparition,  and  the  Elector  involuntarily  smiled  as  he  caught 
sight  of  it.  About  his  somewhat  crooked,  bandy  legs  hung 
loosely  wide,  gray  linen  pantaloons.  His  feet  were  covered 
with  great  buckled  shoes,  out  of  which  peeped  forth  coquet- 
tishly  blue  clock  stockings.  A  long  waistcoat,  trimmed  oddly 
with  lace  and  tassels,  covered  the  upper  part  of  his  body,  and 
over  this  hung  negligently  and  loosely  a  threadbare  overcoat 
of  black  cloth,  trimmed  with  brass  buttons  as  large  as  dollars. 
The  long,  withered  neck  was  held  erect  by  a  broad,  white 
cravat,  made  into  a  gigantic  bow  whose  two  wings  mounted 
majestically  up  to  the  ill-shaven,  bristly  chin.  Gray  hair 
encircled  like  a  crown  the  bald  brow  and  upper  part  of  the 
head,  falling  in  light,  scattered  curls  over  the  high  and  some- 
what unequal  shoulders.  But  most  striking  of  all  seemed 
the  face  of  this  man;  it  was  ugly  and  shriveled,  and  yet  there 
was  something  interesting  about  it.  The  lines  were  furrowed 
and  the  brow  wrinkled,  and  yet  such  living,  youthful  fire 


PREACHER  AND  TAILOR.  369 

sparkled  in  those  dark-brown  eyes,  that  they,  together  with 
the  sharply  cut  eagle  nose,  gave  a  bold,  daring  expression 
to  the  face,  which  contrasted  strangely  with  the  good-hu- 
mored, soft  smile  that  played  about  the  thin  lips. 

"  Who  are  you?  "  asked  the  Elector  very  kindly.  "  Where 
do  you  come  from,  and  what  would  you  have  of  me?  " 

"Alas!  your  highness,"  replied  the  man,  sighing,  "in 
those  few  words  your  grace  asked  three  questions.  But,  with 
all  due  deference  to  your  Electoral  Highness,  I  must  con- 
fess that  my  three  answers  will  prove  somewhat  longer,  and 
that  they  will  form  a  discourse  divided  into  three  sections, 
provided  that  you  extend  me  the  needful  permission  and 
lend  an  open  ear." 

"  You  are  a  queer  fellow,"  smiled  the  Elector. 

"  Your  Electoral  Grace  has  already  had  the  goodness  to 
intone  the  first  proposition  or  question,  and  to  anticipate 
my  answer.  Your  first  question  was,  Who  are  you?  and  your 
highness  has  condescended  to  answer,  A  queer  fellow!  And 
a  queer  fellow  I  am,  in  truth,  for  I  am  at  one  and  the  same 
time  tailor  and  pastor,  penitent  and  father  confessor,  layman 
and  priest.  As  a  tailor  I  make  the  peasant's  clothes,  and  after- 
ward as  pastor  do  them  equal  service  spiritually  by  expos- 
ing to  them  their  sins  and  errors.  In  the  pulpit,  on  Sunday, 
I  spin  a  tolerably  long  yarn,  and  on  Monday  thread  my  needle 
to  mend  my  peasant's  church-going  suits,  that  they  may  pre- 
sent a  decent,  respectable  appearance  at  preaching  the  next 
Sunday.  Yes,  indeed,  I  am  a  queer  fellow,  as  your  high- 
ness was  pleased  to  remark." 

"And  as  you  have  proved  to  me  by  your  discourse," 
laughed  the  Elector,  sinking  into  his  armchair,  and  with 
his  bright  eyes  complacently  regarding  the  strange  blending 
of  tailor  and  preacher  in  the  odd  specimen  of  humanity  be- 
fore him.  "  Having  now  finished  with  article  one,  let  us  pass 
to  the  second  part  of  the  answer." 

"  The  second  part  is  easy  and  hard  to  answer,  your  high- 
ness," replied  the  man  shrugging  his  shoulders.  "  It  depends 
upon  whether  your  highness  requires  a  metaphysical  or  a 
political  answer.  If  the  latter  is  the  case,  then  to  your  ques- 
tion, Where  do  you  come  from?  I  have  to  answer,  I  come 


370  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

from  the  village  Dobelheim  of  Halberstadt.  But  if  your 
highness  expects  a  metaphysical  answer,  then  would  it  have 
to  be  decided  whether  I  ought  to  say  that  I  come  from  God 
or  confess  that  I  am  in  part  derived  from  the  devil;  and 
first  of  all  must  be  settled  the  grand  question,  whether  man 
is  good  by  nature  or  whether  he  is  spoilt  in  the  world  through 
the  influence  of  the  devil,  who,  as  the  learned  ministers  say, 
goes  about  in  bodily  shape,  without  being  interfered  with 
by  the  Almighty.  I  am  no  scholar,  but  a  simple  pastor,  dar- 
ing to  doubt  the  reality  of  a  devil  incarnate,  hence  deeming 
the  exorcism  and  expulsion  of  the  devil  at  the  baptism  of 
children  not  merely  a  superfluous,  but  a  blasphemous  act, 
since  it  would  seem  to  imply  that  God  is  not  as  powerful  as 
the  devil,  for  where  would  be  the  omnipotence  and  omni- 
presence of  the  Deity  if  the  devil  had  already  possession  of 
the  bodies  of  infants?  " 

"  You  are  a  rash,  extravagant  talker,"  cried  the  Elector 
cheerfully,  "  and  it  seems  to  me  that  your  tongue  at  least 
has  suffered  no  fatigue  from  your  long  journey,  and  still  runs 
with  extraordinary  boldness  and  activity.  We  will  not  press 
further  the  metaphysical  part  of  the  answer,  and  I  must  for 
the  present  declare  myself  satisfied  with  the  political  answer. 
You  are  from  the  village  of  Dobelheim  of  Halberstadt,  then; 
and  what  is  your  name?  " 

"  My  name  is  Jacob  Samuel  Fear-God  Live-Right  Conrad 
Martin  Eberhard  Trust-God  Gottlieb  Charles  John  Frederick 
Richter." 

"What?  You  venture  to  assert  that  you  bear  twelve 
names?  " 

"No,  your  highness,  I  possess  twelve  Christian  names, 
but  I  bear  only  one  at  a  time.  In  January  my  wife  calls  me 
Jacob,  in  February  Samuel,  in  March  Fear-God,  etc.  Every 
month  she  calls  me  by  a  different  name,  as  my  parents  and 
brothers  and  sisters  used  to  do.  But  this  comes  from  a  vow 
made  by  my  blessed  father  when  he  carried  me  to  the  baptismal 
font.  My  father  was  a  poor  tailor  here  in  Berlin,  and,  as  times 
went  very  hard  with  him  during  the  war,  in  his  difficulties  he 
bethought  himself  of  giving  a  great  christening,  and  inviting 
twelve  rich  and  influential  godfathers  to  officiate  on  the  occa- 


PREACHER  AND  TAILOR.  371 

sion,  to  each  of  whom  he  said  that  he  held  him  in  such  espe- 
cial love  and  honor  that  he  cherished  no  more  ardent  desire 
than  to  bestow  his  Christian  name  upon  his  first-born  son. 
Now,  your  highness  knows  that  good,  obtuse  men  are  more 
accessible  to  flattery  than  anything  else,  and  that  great  advan- 
tage may  be  taken  of  their  weakness..  The  godfathers  whom 
my  father  loved  so  much  accordingly  all  duly  repaired  to  the 
church  at  the  appointed  hour,  and  each  was  in  turn  astonished 
to  find  eleven  other  sponsors  besides  himself,  all  affirming  that 
my  father  wished  to  name  his  first-born  son  in  especial  com- 
pliment to  them.  My  father  now  confessed  with  tears  in  his 
eyes  that  he  was  in  great  poverty,  and  had  invited  twelve 
sponsors  because  he  hoped  that  each  of  the  rich,  generous 
gentlemen  would  bestow  a  dollar  upon  the  child,  and  thus 
save  his  wife  and  child  from  suffering  the  pangs  of  hunger  for 
a  few  weeks,  until  he  could  earn  some  more  money.  And  he 
had  selected  these  twelve  godfathers  because  they  were  the 
richest,  most  magnanimous,  and  most  generous  citizens  of  all 
Berlin,  and  because  therefore  he  felt  that  their  names  would 
entail  a  blessing  upon  his  son.  My  father  actually  succeeded, 
by  such  moving  and  flattering  appeals,  in  propitiating  his 
twelve  godfathers,  and  each  gave  him  two  dollars  on  condi- 
tion that  the  child  should  once  in  the  year  be  called  by  his 
name.  This  my  father  solemnly  promised  for  himself  and 
his  son,  and  both  have  adhered  scrupulously  to  the  engage- 
ment; for,  although  my  good  father  has  been  long  since 
dead,  up  to  the  present  day  I  change  my  Christian  name 
with  every  month,  according  to  the  succession  of  my  god- 
fathers." 

"  And  what  is  your  name  this  month  ?  " 

"  My  name  is  Gottlieb  this  month,  your  Electoral  High- 
ness." 

"  Let  us  proceed  now  to  solve  my  third  query,  Gottlieb 
Eichter.  If  I  mistake  not  it  was,  What  would  you  have  of 
me?" 

"  Yes,  that  was  it;  and  I  make  answer,  Justice  and  a 
favorable  sentence! " 

"  Ay!  Gottlieb  Eichter,  in  one  breath  you  have  given  utter- 
ance to  a  contradiction.  If  you  demand  justice,  you  have  no 


372  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

need  of  asking  a  favorable  sentence,  since  justice  asks  not  for 
favor  but  stands  of  herself." 

"  That  is  very  true,  gracious  sir;  but  in  our  distressful 
times  the  greatest  favor  to  which  one  can  aspire  is  to  obtain 
justice,  and  not  have  it  wrested  from  him  by  the  interposition 
of  some  strong  and  mighty  hand." 

"  Have  you  cause  to  dread  such  a  strong  and  mighty  hand, 
and  do  you  know  to  whom  it  belongs?  " 

"  Yes,  your  highness,  I  do  entertain  such  a  dread,  and  the 
hand  belongs  to  the  counselor  of  the  consistory  and  court 
preacher  Stoschius." 

"  What!  "  cried  the  Elector  amazed.  "  You  venture  to 
accuse  my  court  preacher  Stoschius,  and  to  maintain  that  he 
would  pervert  justice?  " 

"  Yes,  your  highness,  the  justice  of  our  degenerate  days, 
if  blind,  yet  seems  to  have  a  keen  perception  of  the  approach 
of  the  high  and  honored.  Herr  Stoschius,  you  see,  is  a  promi- 
nent and  distinguished  court  preacher,  while  I  am  only  a 
village  pastor,  poor  and  unknown,  possessing  nothing  in  the 
world  but  a  good  conscience,  ten  children,  and  the  love  of  my 
poor  flock,  which,  by  the  way,  is  a  rich  boon  of  Providence." 

"  A  boon  which  many  a  rich  and  famous  man  might  envy 
you,  Gottlieb  Eichter.  But  now  tell  me  what  you  have  to  do 
with  my  court  preacher  and  counselor  of  the  consistory?  " 

"  Ah!  most  gracious  sir,  the  counselor  of  the  consistory, 
in  pursuance  of  an  Electoral  order,  made  a  tour  through  the 
districts  assigned  to  your  highness  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
Peace  of  Westphalia,  and  so  came  also  to  Halberstadt  and  even 
to  our  little  hamlet  of  Dobelheim.  It  is  a  wretched  little  vil- 
lage, far  remote  from  the  highways  of  traffic,  and  nobody 
troubles  himself  much  about  us,  but  least  of  all  the  Bishop 
of  Halberstadt,  to  whom  we  are  nevertheless  subject.  Our 
little  village  consists  of  Protestant  peasants  and  colonists,  and 
was  poorly  enough  esteemed,  until  the  gracious,  pious,  and 
blessed  Elector  Frederick  William  took  pity  upon  the  Luth- 
erans and  Calvinists  and  gained  for  them  equal  rights  and 
equal  respect  for  their  creeds.  We  had  our  own  little  parish 
church,  and  the  peasants  durst  choose  their  own  pastor,  but 
at  the  same  time  paid  his  salary  wholly  unaided,  and  worked 


PREACHER  AND  TAILOR.  373 

his  fields  for  him.  Well,  the  support  was  scanty  enough,  and 
the  pastor  was  not  much  better  off  than  any  peasant  of  his 
congregation.  But  he  was  content,  for  he  had  lived  long  in 
the  community,  and  desired  nothing  better  than  to  abide  there. 
Dobelheim  is  such  a  quiet,  peaceful,  shady  little  spot,  and  it 
struck  me  as  so  homelike  when  I  came  there  in  my  wanderings 
that  I  forthwith  determined  to  stay  and  settle  there." 

"  Gottlieb  Eichter,"  said  the  Elector,  smilingly  threaten- 
ing him  with  his  finger,  "  truly,  you  spin  as  long  a  yarn  as 
if  you  were  preparing  to  darn  a  huge  rent  in  some  peasant's 
smock  frock,  instead  of  instituting  a  complaint  against  our. 
counselor  of  the  consistory  and  court  preacher  Stoschius,  as 
you  proposed  to  do.  Tell  me,  first  of  all,  then,  what  brought 
you  here,  and  why  do  you  demand  of  me  justice  and  even 
favor  against  my  court  preacher?  " 

"  Ah!  your  Electoral  Highness,  because  with  his  great, 
haughty  eyes  he  would  see  in  me  only  the  tailor  and  not  the 
pastor.  You  sent  him  abroad  through  the  land  to  inspect 
the  churches  and  congregations,  but  he  did  not  return  like 
the  dove  with  the  olive  branch  in  her  beak,  but  like  the  vul- 
ture, who  pounces  upon  the  doves  and  destroys  their  nest. 
For  ten  years,  ever  since  our  old  minister's  death,  I  had  occu- 
pied his  place,  and  discharged  all  the  duties  of  the  pastoral 
office  to  the  satisfaction  of  my  dear  little  flock,  when  lo!  here 
came  the  counselor  of  the  consistory,  and  fell  into  a  rage  when 
he  learned  that  I  was  a  preacher  merely  on  Sundays,  and  when 
business  allows,  but  in  the  week  nothing  but  a  poor  little  tailor, 
and " 

"Hold  on! "  interposed  the  Elector.  "I  will  not  merely 
hearken  to  your  accusation,  but  at  the  same  time  hear  my 
court  preacher's  defense,  and  what  you  have  to  say  against 
him  you  must  say  in  his  presence!  " 

His  large  blue  eyes  were  fixed  upon  Gottlieb  Eichter's  face 
with  a  sharp,  searching  expression.  But  the  man's  haggard, 
shrewd  countenance  remained  perfectly  calm,  and  seemed 
even  to  look  on  approvingly,  while  the  Elector,  summoning 
Chamberlain  Kiinkel,  bade  him  go  forthwith  to  the  court 
preacher  Stoschius  and  command  his  immediate  attendance 
upon  the  Elector. 


374  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  I  thank  your  highness,"  said  Gottlieb  Richter,  quickly 
nodding  his  head.  "  You  are  indeed  a  wise  and  just  judge, 
who  hears  both  sides  of  a  question,  and  condemns  none  be- 
fore he  is  proved  guilty.  God  only  grant  that  the  court 
preacher  may  consent  to  accede  to  your  invitation,  and  come 
without  delay." 

"  He  will  be  ready  enough,"  said  the  Elector,  smiling,  "  and 
if  I  invite  him  will  surely  come.  You  are  perfectly  willing, 
then,  that  he  should  hear  what  you  have  to  allege  against 
him?" 

"  I  am  glad,  if  respect  for  your  Electoral  Highness  can 
induce  his  worship  to  listen  to  me,  for  in  Dobelheim,  when 
I  tried  to  speak,  he  bade  me  hold  my  tongue,  and,  like  a  mile- 
stone, merely  showed  me  the  way  to  the  door." 

"  It  must  indeed  have  surprised  him  a  little  to  find  a  tailor 
as  pastor  of  a  Christian  community." 

"  But,  your  highness,  nobody  was  ever  born  a  preacher, 
and  the  apostle  Peter  himself  was  nothing  but  a  poor  fisher- 
man." 

"  You  know  how  to  give  an  answer,"  said  Frederick  Wil- 
liam, smiling. 

"  I  hope,  too,  your  highness,  that  I  need  not  be  speech- 
less when  on  the  day  of  judgment  our  Lord  shall  ask  me  if 
I  have  led  an  honest,  useful  life,  and  have  been  a  faithful 
guardian  of  the  souls  which  he  has  intrusted  to  my  care." 

"  You  believe,  then,  that  our  Lord  himself  set  you  apart 
as  the  pastor  of  your  congregation  ?  " 

"  Yes,  your  Electoral  Highness! "  cried  Gottlieb  Richter 
joyfully,  laying  his  right  hand  upon  his  breast  as  if  in  con- 
firmation of  his  words — "  yes,  I  have  a  firm,  unshaken  confi- 
dence in  the  genuineness  of  my  calling.  God  so  ordered  it, 
that  in  the  course  of  my  wanderings  as  a  poor  journeyman 
tailor  I  should  come  to  Dobelheim  and  settle  there.  God  so 
ordered  it,  that  one  day,  when  I  carried  back  to  the  good  old 
minister  his  gown,  which  I  had  spent  eight  days  in  repairing, 
the  old  gentleman  should  enter  into  discourse  with  me,  and 
his  good,  kind  heart  be  so  drawn  out  to  me  that  I  afterward 
ventured  to  come  to  him  daily,  when  my  day's  work  was  done, 
to  read  pious  and  edifying  books,  whose  contents  we  discussed 


PREACHER  AND  TAILOR.  375 

together.  God  willed  that  the  good  old  pastor  should  instruct 
me,  strengthen  my  faith,  and  explain  and  elucidate  what  I 
did  not  understand  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  So  by  and  by 
I  became  quite  versed  in  theology,  and  when  the  pastor  at  last 
became  weak  and  sickly,  he  could  with  a  good  conscience 
allow  me  to  take  his  place  in  the  pulpit  and  elsewhere,  for  he 
knew  that  I  would  speak  and  act  in  accordance  with  his  own 
views  and  feelings,  and,  moreover,  every  Sunday  evening  he 
read  the  Gospels  with  me,  and  I  wrote  down  heads  of  subjects 
upon  which  I  had  to  preach.  Thus  I  was  for  ten  years  my 
dear  pastor's  adjunct,  he  himself  giving  me  that  title,  and  the 
villagers  as  well.  When  now  the  pastor — God  rest  his  soul! — 
finally  died  of  old  age,  and  I  was  weeping  over  him,  as  became 
a  grateful  son,  for  he  had  indeed  been  a  father  and  friend 
to  me,  the  leaders  of  the  congregation  came  to  me,  and  roused 
me  out  of  my  melancholy  by  saying,  '  Trust-God  Eichter ' — 
my  name  was  Trust-God  that  very  month — *  Trust-God 
Richter,  you  must  not  sit  any  longer  weeping  and  lamenting 
over  the  old  man,  for  you  have  no  time,  since  you  well  know 
that  to-morrow  is  Sunday,  and  you  have  the  duties  of  your 
office  to  discharge.'  'What  office?'  asked  I  in  astonishment. 
'  Why,  your  office  as  our  preacher,'  said  they,  and  when  I  made 
opposition  and  declared  that  it  was  impossible,  they  made  an- 
swer: '  Why  should  not  things  go  on  to-morrow  as  they  have 
gone  on  for  the  past  ten  years?  You  have  been  acting  as  our 
good  minister's  substitute  for  ten  years,  and  proved  accepta- 
ble to  us.  Why  should  it  be  any  the  worse,  merely  because 
the  old  pastor  no  longer  occupies  the  parsonage,  but  lies  asleep 
in  the  churchyard?  ' : 

"  That  was  indeed  fitly  and  wisely  spoken  by  the  people," 
cried  the  Elector  involuntarily,  "  and  methinks  they  were 
right." 

"  I  thank  your  highness  for  your  gracious  approval,"  said 
Gottlieb  Richter  joyfully.  "  I,  too,  felt  in  my  heart  that  the 
good  people  were  right;  and  when  they  told  me  that  the  con- 
gregation had  met  that  very  day  and  unanimously  chosen 
me  for  their  pastor,  and  that  therefore,  as  the  oldest  of  the 
community,  they  had  come  to  announce  to  me  that  from  that 
hour  I  was  the  minister  of  their  choice,  my  heart  felt  fearful, 


376  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

and  at  the  same  time  right  glad,  and  I  thanked  God  for  the 
confidence  and  love  which  the  congregation  testified  toward 
me,  although  I  was  quite  crushed  by  the  high  honor  bestowed 
upon  me,  the  poor  tailor.  I  replied  to  the  elders  of  the  con- 
gregation tl\at  I  could  not  give  an  answer  immediately,  for  I 
must  first  consult  with  God,  my  own  conscience,  and  the  de- 
parted spirit  of  my  good  old  pastor.  I  told  them  that  if  they 
would  only  all  assemble  in  church  as  usual,  I  would  give  them 
an  answer:  if  I  did  not  appear  in  the  pulpit,  they  might  then 
know  that  I  could  not  accept  their  offer  and  conscientiously 
assume  the  duties  of  the  pastorate.  They  were  content  with 
this  and  left  me  with  that  understanding.  And  now  I  was 
alone  with  God,  my  conscience,  and  the  departed  spirit  of  my 
dear  old  pastor." 

For  a  moment  Gottlieb  Eichter  was  silent  and  reverentially 
looked  up  to  heaven,  as  if  he  there  saw  the  departed  spirit  of 
his  revered  friend  and  greeted  it  with  devotion. 

The  Elector  indulged  him,  being  unwilling  to  disturb  his 
silent  prayer,  and  when  the  door  of  the  antechamber,  to  which 
Gottlieb's  back  was  turned,  softly  opened,  and  the  court 
preacher  Stoschius  entered  in  full  canonicals,  with  all  the 
gravity  pertaining  to  his  office,  the  Elector  motioned  to  him 
by  a  sign  to  remain  quietly  standing  where  he  was,  and  to 
listen.  Then  turning  again  to  Gottlieb,  he  inquired  in  soft, 
benign  tones:  "  And  what  followed,  Gottlieb  Eichter?  Did 
you  commune  with  your  three  friends  as  to  whether  you  should 
accept  the  living  of  Dobelheim?  " 

As  he  thus  questioned,  he  cast  a  rapid  glance  across  at  the 
court  preacher  Stoschius,  whose  features  had  now  assumed 
still  greater  gravity  and  whose  brow  was  clouded. 

"Yes,"  replied  Gottlieb,  awakening  from  his  reverie  as 
from  a  dream — "yes,  I  communed  with  my  three  friends. 
I  went  out  to  my  dear  friend's  grave,  and  there,  kneeling 
down,  examined  my  conscience,  whether  it  were  pure  and  sin- 
cere, and  not  influenced  by  sinful  presumption  and  worldly 
vanity  in  accepting  the  offer  made  me  by  the  congregation. 
Then  I  prayed  right  fervently  to  our  Heavenly  Father,  that 
he  would  enlighten  my  mind  and  tell  me  what  I  must  do,  and 
that  he  would  give  me  a  token  of  his  will.  And  when  I  had 


PREACHER  AND  TAILOR.  377 

thus  prayed  I  opened  my  beloved  pastor's  old  Bible,  which 
I  had  taken  with  me  to  his  grave,  and,  without  looking,  laid 
my  finger  on  a  passage  of  the  open  page,  and  then  stooped 
down  to  read  it." 

"  Well,"  asked  the  Elector,  listening  eagerly,  "  what  did 
you  read?  What  was  in  the  passage  to  which  your  finger 
pointed?" 

"  Your  highness,  it  was  written  there, '  Thou  shalt  sing  and 
give  praises  unto  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  publish  it  to  all 
people.'  And  as  I  read  that  I  seemed  to  hear  the  voice  of  my 
dear  old  preacher  speaking  to  me  in  these  words,  *  Go  your 
ways  and  praise  the  Lord,  doing  as  I  have  taught  you! '  Quite 
cheerfully  and  devoutly  I  returned  home,  and  watched  and 
prayed  all  night,  with  true  devotion  of  heart  preparing  myself 
for  the  coming  Sabbath.  As  the  bells  rang  for  church,  my 
heart  beat  quite  loud  and  my  breath  seemed  to  fail  me,  as,  with 
Bible  in  hand,  I  took  my  way  through  the  shady  walk  leading 
from  the  parsonage  to  the  church.  Nobody  could  see  me 
in  this  walk,  and  the  vestry  room  likewise  was  secluded  and 
dark.  I  was  there  alone  and  heard  the  congregation  singing 
a  choral.  With  devout  heart  I  knelt  and  besought  God  to 
pity  my  weakness,  and,  although  I  was  nothing  but  a  tailor, 
to  forbid  that  my  congregation  should  one  day  say  of  me, 
*  We  have  made  a  goat  our  gardener,  he  has  laid  waste  our 
land;  woe  be  unto  us! '  Now  the  congregation  was  silent, 
and  I  slowly  ascended  the  pulpit  stairs.  I  had  done  the  same 
every  Sunday  for  ten  years,  and  it  had  never  occurred  to  me 
that  I  had  no  right  to  do  so.  But  to-day  my  heart  was  op- 
pressed with  anxious  timidity,  and  as  I  crossed  the  chancel 
and  advanced  toward  the  pulpit  I  felt  that  I  grew  deadly  pale. 
The  whole  congregation  was  present  of  course,  and  as  soon 
as  the  good  people  caught  sight  of  me  they  arose  from  their 
seats,  lifted  up  to  me  their  friendly  faces,  and  exclaimed  aloud 
and  unanimously:  '  God  bless  our  dear  pastor.  May  God  long 
preserve  to  us  our  dear  preacher,  Trust-God  Richter! '  '  Peace 
and  joy  be  with  us  all! '  cried  I,  and  then  for  awhile  we  wept 
together,  then  dried  our  eyes,  and  I  began  my  sermon  and 
brought  it  happily  to  an  end.  In  this  way,  most  gracious  Elec- 
tor, I  became  pastor  in  Dobelheim,  and  have  discharged  the 


378  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

duties  of  this  office  nine  years  to  the  satisfaction  of  ray  con- 
gregation. We  love  each  other  cordially,  and  are  like  one 
great  family,  that  in  us  may  be  fulfilled  the  words  of  the 
apostle  John,  '  Children,  love  one  another.'  And  now,  your 
Electoral  Highness,  the  court  preacher  Stoschius  would  count 
it  against  me  as  a  crime  that  I  hold  the  place  of  pastor  in  the 
village  of  Dobelheim.  He  called  me  a  blasphemer  and  sacri- 
legious person,  and  in  the  Elector's  name  forbade  me  once 
and  forever  to  set  my  foot  in  the  pulpit,  unless  I  wished  to  be 
arrested  and  cast  into  prison." 

"  Is  that  true,  Stoschius  ?  "  asked  the  Elector,  turning  to 
the  court  preacher,  who  with  flushed  and  angry  countenance 
had  listened  to  Gottlieb  Kichter's  narration,  and  now  drew 
near  with  solemn  steps. 

"  Yes,  Sir  Elector,"  he  cried  pathetically — "  yes,  it  is  true. 
I  did  forbid  this  tailor  to  enter  the  sacred  pulpit.  I  did  not 
wish  the  house  of  God  to  be  desecrated  and  a  mere  patcher  to 
play  preacher." 

"  Most  gracious  sir,"  cried  Gottlieb,  "  a  genuine  pastor 
should  be  also  a  genuine  patcher.  His  tongue  should  be  the 
needle  with  which  he  mends  the  rents  torn  by  his  spiritual 
children  in  their  virtue  and  integrity." 

"  Cease  your  biting  metaphors,"  said  the  Elector,  with  a 
slight  smile.  "  I  have  something  more  to  say  to  Stoschius. — 
Reverend  sir,  you  say  that  Gottlieb  Richter  has  desecrated  the 
pulpit:  in  what  way  has  he  done  so?  " 

"  By  entering  it  in  an  unwarrantable  manner! "  passion- 
ately exclaimed  the  stern  counselor  of  the  consistory,  "  by 
daring  to  play  the  part  of  a  consecrated  servant  of  the  Lord, 
and  exercising  functions  only  befitting  a  priest.  But  he  is 
no  priest,  no  consecrated  servant  of  the  Lord.  He  is  noth- 
ing but  a  tailor,  and  in  that  capacity  serves  the  community, 
whose  pastor  he  presumes  to  call  himself;  and,  since  I  wished 
to  find  out  with  my  own  eyes  whether  they  had  told  me  the 
truth,  I  so  managed  it  as  to  arrive  at  the  village  of  Dobelheim 
one  Saturday  afternoon.  I  left  my  carriage,  and  on  foot  in- 
quired my  way  to  the  parsonage  and  entered  unannounced. 
Lo!  in  a  wretched  little  apartment  sat  this  man,  three  coarse 
smock  frocks  lying  before  him,  and  busily  engaged  patching  a 


PREACHER  AND  TAILOR.  379 

ragged  sleeve.  '  What  are  you  making  there/  said  I,  *  and 
why  do  you  sew  away  so  industriously  ?  '  He  did  not  even  look 
up,  and,  instead  of  rising  to  welcome  the  court  preacher  of 
his  Electoral  Grace,  as  respect  and  courtesy  required,  quietly 
sewed  away  and  said  composedly,  '  I  am  mending  the  torn 
Sunday  coats  of  the  peasants,  and  sew  so  industriously  be- 
cause to-morrow  is  Sunday  and  the  minister  is  much  vexed 
if  his  peasants  do  not  appear  neat  and  tidy  at  church.'  Then 
said  I,  'What  is  your  pastor's  name?  Where  is  he?'  and, 
perfectly  unabashed,  the  fellow  answered  me  quietly,  *  This 
month  his  name  is  Fear-God  Eichter,  and  he  sits  here  on  the 
bench  mending  coats.' " 

The  Elector  quickly  drew  his  hand  across  his  face  to  con- 
ceal from  the  court  preacher  a  smile,  which  he  felt  to  be  irre- 
pressible. But  in  his  eagerness  Herr  Stoschius  was  not  con- 
scious of  this,  and  indignantly  proceeded:  "  Yes,  gracious  sir, 
those  were  his  words,  and  when  I  asked  what  they  meant  he 
added,  '  They  mean  that  in  the  week  I  am  a  tailor,  but  on 
Sunday  a  preacher.'  A  shudder  passed  over  me,  and  as  I 
looked  at  the  man  it  struck  me  that  it  might  be  the  devil 
mocking  me  in  human  shape,  for  you  know  he  goes  through 
the  world  tempting  the  good  and  laying  snares  for  the  souls 
of  the  just.  I  could  not  and  would  not  believe  that  such  a 
crime  was  actually  committed  by  a  man,  and  proposed  to  my- 
self quietly  and  patiently  to  wait  until  Sunday  morning.  I 
rode  to  a  gentleman's  country  seat  in  the  neighborhood,  passed 
the  night  there,  and  returned  the  next  morning  to  Dobel- 
heim.  The  worship  of  God  had  already  begun,  and  upon 
entering  the  church  what  a  sight  I  beheld!  There  stood  the 
tailor  of  yesterday  in  a  black  gown,  and  in  front  of  him  two 
women  with  little  children  in  their  arms  and  sponsors  around 
them.  He  had  just  opened  the  sacred  volume  and  was  about 
to  begin  the  ceremony.  But  I  rushed  up  to  him,  snatched 
the  book  out  of  his  hand,  thrust  him  back  and  called  out: 
*  How  dare  you  commit  such  a  crime!  You  are  an  impostor, 
and  instead  of  expelling  the  devil  from  the  bodies  of  these 
children,  you  will  drive  the  devil  into  them  by  your  blas- 
phemous act! ' ; 

"Yes,   thus   you   spoke!"    exclaimed    Gottlieb    Eichter, 
25 


380  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  and  it  was  a  right  edifying  example  of  Christian  toleration 
and  pitying  love  that  you  gave  to  my  terrified  congregation. 
But  they  did  not  acknowledge  it  as  such " 

"How  dare  you  interrupt  me?  "  asked  the  court  preacher 
haughtily.  "  Did  you  not  hear  his  most  worshipful  highness 
bid  you  cease  your  impertinence?  " 

"  It  is  true,  Gottlieb,  that  I  bade  you  be  silent,  although 
not  in  such  harsh  terms  as  the  court  preacher  uses.  Speak 
now,  your  reverence.  How  did  the  congregation  deport  it- 
self? " 

"Your  highness,  it  was  plain  to  see  that  the  fellow  had 
bewitched  the  whole  set  and  given  them  over  to  the  devil. 
For  they  cursed  and  swore,  darted  at  me  with  their  fists,  and 
would  surely  have  beaten  me  if  this  man  had  not  placed  him- 
self in  front  of  me  and  rebuked  them  until  they  became  quiet 
again." 

"Did  he  do  that?"  asked  the  Elector.  "Did  he  pro- 
tect the  court  preacher  Stoschius,  who  had  accused  him  of 
such  a  dreadful  crime?  I  admire  that  in  him,  and  it  seems  to 
me  that  with  such  a  spirit  he  could  not  have  been  given  over 
entirely  to  the  devil.  And  what  else  happened,  your  rever- 
ence?" 

"  I  then  mounted  the  pulpit,  and,  after  the  raging  and 
screaming  pack  of  peasants  had  been  quieted,  announced  to 
the  congregation  that  the  tailor  Eichter,  who  presumed  to  act 
the  parson,  to  assume  the  priestly  vestments,  and  exercise  cleri- 
cal functions,  had  thereby  incurred  heavy  guilt,  for  he  had 
profaned  God's  sanctuary  and  misused  the  name  of  the  Lord. 
Therefore  he  must  be  termed  a  blasphemer  and  sacrilegious 
person.  I  informed  the  congregation  that  in  the  shortest  pos- 
sible space  of  time  I  would  supply  them  with  an  ordained  and 
educated  minister  and  install  him  in  that  living.  With  sol- 
emn words,  by  virtue  of  my  office,  I  prohibited  the  tailor 
from  ever  again  entering  the  pulpit  or  undertaking  ecclesi- 
astical duties,  threatening  him  with  being  put  under  arrest 
and  thrown  into  prison  so  soon  as  he  should  transgress  my 
orders.  I  acted  thus  by  virtue  of  my  office  and  the  holy  ob- 
ligations which  it  imposed  upon  me." 

"Now,  Gottlieb  Eichter,"  said  the  Elector,  after  a  short 


PREACHER  AND  TAILOR.  381 

silence,  "  if  you  have  anything  more  to  say  in  your  own  de- 
fense, do  so." 

"Your  Electoral  Highness,  I  have  only  this  to  say:  The 
congregation  chose  me  for  their  paster  of  their  own  free  will, 
and  I  for  my  part  discharged  the  duties  of  the  office  of  my 
own  free  will,  to  our  mutual  satisfaction." 

"  But  no  one  may  hold  an  office  for  which  he  is  not  quali- 
fied," cried  the  court  preacher  haughtily,  "  and  for  which 
he  has  not  prepared  himself  by  previous  study." 

"  True,"  said  Gottlieb  composedly.  "  For  example,  if  you 
were  to  undertake  the  office  of  head  tailor  in  our  village,  that 
would  of  course  be  to  commit  a  great  injustice,  for  you  would 
not  be  able  to  perform  its  duties,  not  having  gone  through 
the  needful  course  of  preparation.  But  for  being  village 
pastor  no  other  studies  were  required  than  those  which  I  was 
privileged  to  receive  from  my  dear  old  pastor  during  the  course 
of  ten  years.  He  did  not,  indeed,  instruct  me  in  mere  theology, 
but  in  the  fear  of  God;  he  drummed  into  me  no  obscure, 
latinized  modes  of  speech,  but  taught  me  to  address  my  con- 
gregation in  simple,  direct  words,  coming  from  the  heart 
and  therefore  reaching  hearts.  Besides,  I  inherited  from  the 
good  pastor  three  hundred  fully  written  and  beautiful  ser- 
mons, which  it  was  expressly  stipulated  in  his  will  that  I 
should  sometimes  read  to  his  people." 

"  But  you  know  as  well  as  anybody,"  cried  the  court 
preacher,  "  that  only  an  educated  man  ought  to  undertake  the 
office  of  preacher,  and  can  possibly  produce  a  regular  and 
well-arranged  sermon." 

"I  have  been  educated,  Sir  Counselor  of  the  Consistory 
and  court  preacher.  Only,  instead  of  the  University  of  Wit- 
temberg,  I  have  attended  the  University  of  Dobelheim,  and 
for  ten  long  years  listened  to  most  instructive  lectures  from 
my  pastor.  I  am,  therefore,  an  educated  man;  and  as  to 
sermons,  they  please  my  congregation,  and  if  the  people 
do  not  sleep  so  soundly  as  when  a  learned  doctor  holds 
forth  in  a  pompous  harangue  of  which  they  understand 
nothing,  their  hearts  are  the  more  awake  and  their  souls 
watchful." 

"  Stoschius,"  said  the  Elector,  smiling,  "  I  verily  believe 


382  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

this  man  does  know  how  to  talk,  and  can  edify  his  congrega- 
tion." 

"  That  may  well  be,  your  highness,"  replied  Stoschius 
stiffly,  "  but  that  only  makes  the  matter  worse,  and  proves  that 
his  congregation  is  already  stupefied,  and  can  no  longer  dis- 
tinguish a  common  tailor  from  an  educated  divine  and  bishop 
of  souls.  I  grant  that  by  making  use  of  the  papers  left  by  the 
deceased  minister  he  may  be  able  to  read  off  a  correct  dis- 
course; but  it  is  impossible  that  a  tailor  should  with  dignity 
and  propriety  conduct  the  administration  of  the  sacraments. 
For  instance,  how  would  he  perform  the  holy  rite  of  baptism, 
he,  tailor  Richter?  How  would  he  practice  the  same?  " 

"  I  perform  the  service  in  the  manner  customary  in  our 
Church,"  quietly  returned  Gottlieb. 

"  Show  us,  then,  how  you  would  baptize  a  child.  Will 
your  highness  permit  me  to  put  this  man  to  the  test,  and  lead 
him  ad  absurdum  in  your  presence,  thus  proving  to  you  that 
he  understands  nothing  whatever  about  sacred  things?" 

"  Put  him  to  the  test,  reverend  sir,"  replied  Frederick 
William.  "  You  see,  I  grant  you  full  indulgence,  and  listen 
respectfully  to  your  colloquy  without  meddling  in  it  at  all 
myself." 

al  thank  your  highness,  and  will  proceed  forthwith  to 
demonstrate  the  tailor's  utter  unfitness  for  playing  the  part 
of  pastor.  Just  tell  me  how  you  would  baptize  a  child.  Make 
the  experiment." 

"  To  do  so,  your  reverence,  I  must  first  of  all  have  a 
child." 

In  his  theological  zeal  Herr  Stoschius  fetched  the  little 
child  from  his  head,  as  Jupiter  produced  Minerva.  That  is 
to  say,  he  took  from  his  right  reverend  cranium  his  little  black 
velvet  cap,  and  laid  it  on  the  table  before  the  tailor. 

"  We  will  fancy,"  he  said,  "  that  this  is  a  child;  baptize 
it  now." 

"  If  I  am  to  go  through  the  ceremony  of  baptism  I  must 
have  water,  too." 

"You  are  right,"  said  the  Elector.  "Water  belongs  to 
baptism  as  wine  to  the  Lord's  Supper.  There  stands  a  large 
glass  of  fresh  water,  take  that." 


PREACHER  AND  TAILOR.  383 

Gottlieb  took  the  glass  and  placed  it  on  the  table  beside 
Herr  Stoschius's  little  cap;  then  he  bowed  lowly  and  rever- 
entially before  the  Elector,  and  somewhat  less  profoundly 
before  the  court  preacher. 

"  If  the  august  and  revered  witnesses  of  this  solemn  act  of 
baptism  are  ready,"  he  said  in  a  loud  voice,  "  then  may  pro- 
ceed the  sacred  rite  asked  for  by  the  court  preacher  Stoschius, 
as  the  father  of  this  little  cap." 

"  We  are  ready,  reverend  sir,"  said  the  Elector,  with  a 
friendly  nod. 

With  slow,  solemn  movement  Gottlieb  now  picked  up  the 
little  cap,  and  holding  it  with  his  left  hand  over  the  impro- 
vised baptismal  font,  sprinkled  it  with  water  with  the  right, 
saying: 

"  In  accordance  with  the  requirement  of  my  gracious 
Sovereign  and  Elector,  and  inasmuch  as  Herr  Stoschius  will 
have  it  so,  I  baptize  thee,  little  cap.  Thou  shalt  be  called 
Little  Cap  now,  and  so  long  as  there  is  a  thread  of  thee  left. 
If  such  is  your  wish,  tender  father  of  this  cap,  then  answer 
with  a  loud  and  solemn  Yes!  "  * 

The  Elector  could  no  longer  preserve  his  gravity,  but 
broke  forth  into  a  loud,  merry  laugh.  Then  he  rose,  with- 
drew into  a  window  recess,  and  beckoned  to  the  court  preacher. 

"  Listen,  reverend  sir,"  he  said,  inclining  toward  the  stern 
theologian  and  speaking  softly,  so  that  he  might  not  be  under- 
stood by  Gottlieb,  who  continued  to  sprinkle  his  little  cap  with 
water — "  listen,  reverend  sir;  let  the  man  go  on  undisturbed 
in  the  regular  discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  office,  for  he  is 
wiser  than  you."  f 

The  exalted  counselor  of  the  consistory  and  court  preacher 
looked  with  stupid  astonishment  into  the  Elector's  smiling 
face.  But  the  latter  was  not  at  all  disconcerted  by  this,  and 
continued:  "  Probably  he  is  better  fitted  to  be  the  preacher 
of  a  plain,  simple  village  community  than  a  scholar  would  be, 
and  you  would  assuredly  have  done  better  if  you  had  not 
allowed  your  theological  zeal  to  get  the  better  of  you,  instead 

*  The  tailor's  own  words.  See  King's  Historical  Description  of  Ber- 
lin, vol.  ii,  p.  54. 

f  The  Elector's  own  words.    See  the  same  authority. 


384:  THE  GREAT   ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

of  being  governed  by  a  little  Christian  charity  and  forbear- 
ance. There  is  enough  of  dissension  in  our  churches  without 
this.  You  preachers  find  peculiar  delight  in  attacking  and 
making  war  upon  one  another,  although  you  know  that  I 
abominate  this  perpetual  wrangling,  and  you  yourselves  must 
admit  to  your  own  consciences  that  the  ministers  of  all  con- 
fessions are  not  called  to  sow  the  wind  that  they  may  reap 
the  whirlwind,  but  to  bring  peace,  whose  fruit  is  universal 
love  toward  man.  Now,  let  that  poor  man  alone,  and  disturb 
him  no  longer  in  his  course  of  action,  for  I  tell  you  he  is  one 
of  the  righteous,  and  a  faithful  servant  to  his  God  and  earthly 
Sovereign.  But  that  you  may  not  be  humbled  and  put  to 
shame  before  him,  I  shall  permit  you  to  say  that  you  have 
convinced  yourself  of  his  fitness  for  his  position,  and  that  you 
have  therefore  begged  me  to  give  my  consent  to  his  holding 
the  office  of  pastor." 

"  Your  Electoral  Grace,"  murmured  the  concistorial  coun- 
selor, highly  shocked,  "  I  should  have  to  retract,  I  should 
have  to  bow  my  head  before 

"  Before  reason  and  myself,  yes,  that  you  shall,"  inter- 
posed the  Elector.  "  In  your  blind  zeal  you  have  done  in- 
justice; now  make  restitution,  and  that  without  delay!  " 

He  left  the  window  recess  and  stationed  himself  not  far 
from  the  poor  village  tailor  and  pastor.  The  consistorial  coun- 
selor now  approached  the  latter,  and  endeavored  to  force  a 
smile  to  his  quivering  lips. 

"  You  have  certainly  shown  me  one  thing,"  he  said  with 
difficulty,  struggling  for  breath,  "  you  have  proved  to  me  that 
you  do  understand  the  holy  sacraments  very  well  and  have  a 
close  acquaintance  with  their  forms.  Since,  moreover,  you 
have  for  your  use  the  written  sermons  of  your  predecessor, 
and  seem  to  possess  a  good  Christian  disposition  and  to  be 
honored  by  your  village  congregation,  we  shall  in  this  case 
make  an  exception  to  the  common  rule,  and  wink  at  this  ir- 
regularity, offering  no  further  hindrance  to  your  continued 
discharge  of  the  duties  of  your  office.  Provided,  of  course, 
that  your  Electoral  Grace  has  no  further  objection  to  make 
to  it,"  added  Herr  Stoschius,  turning  to  the  Elector  with  a 
reverential  bow. 


MUSIC  AND  ART.  385 

"  No,  my  worthy  court  preacher,"  smilingly  replied  Fred- 
erick William,  "  I  have  no  objection  at  all,  and  entirely  agree 
with  you.  We  shall  leave  Gottlieb  Richter  in  his  place,  and 
not  esteem  it  as  any  reproach  to  him  that  he  is  not  a  learned 
scholar  who  has  completed  his  studies  at  Wittemberg.  For, 
to  speak  plainly,  I  am  not  particularly  well  pleased  with  this 
university,  and. have  already  made  up  my  mind  to  issue  an 
edict  prohibiting  all  my  subjects  from  going  to  Wittemberg, 
there  to  prosecute  their  theological  and  philosophical  studies.* 
For  this  Wittemberg  is  a  very  nest  of  discord,  perpetually  pro- 
moting disputes  between  the  Lutherans  and  Reformers.  Re- 
turn to  your  congregation  with  a  cheerful  heart,  Gottlieb 
Richter,  live  among  them  in  unity  and  concord,  and,  as  you 
say,  work  upon  their  consciences  on  Sundays  and  in  the  week 
upon  their  coats.  Continue  in  innocence  of  heart,  in  the  love 
of  God  and  man.  But  to  you,  Sir  Consistorial  Counselor,  to 
you  I  repeat  the  words  I  once  before  spoke  to  you:  be  mild 
and  conciliatory  toward  the  preachers  of  both  confessions. 
When  the  preachers  pray,  let  them  not  have  cause  to  sigh  and 
moan.  Let  them  not  be  oppressed  in  their  persons  or  prop- 
erty; for  we  have  never  been  willing  to  assume  supremacy  over 
conscience,  but  would  leave  each  one  to  worship  God  according 
to  the  dictates  of  his  own  heart.f  Be  ever  mindful  of  this, 
Sir  Court  Preacher,  and  consistorial  counselor  Stoschius! " 


VI. — Music  AND  ART. 

THE  rehearsal  of  the  two  Italian  musicians  was  to  take 
place  on  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  in  the  Electress's 
apartments.  Signers  Altiera  and  Grimani  had  been  ordered 
to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  for  the  Electoral  summons  to 
descend  to  the  princely  apartments.  The  Elector  now  re- 
paired thither,  his  wife  and  the  Princess  Ludovicka  Hol- 
landine  having  gone  there  immediately  after  dinner. 

*  See  Orlich,  History  of  the  Great  Elector,  vol.  ii,  p.  469. 
f  The  Great  Elector's  own  words.    See  ibid.,  p.  464. 


386  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  Now,  ladies/'  said  the  Elector  cheerfully,  "  if  such  is 
your  pleasure,  we  can  send  for  the  Italian  musicians,  and  the 
concert  may  begin.  We  have  invited  our  organist  Kriiger 
to  attend,  as  well  as  a  few  other  members  of  our  choir,  and  old 
Conrad  von  Burgsdorf  besides." 

"  Of  course,"  exclaimed  Princess  Ludovicka,  smiling. 
"  Burgsdorf,  the  Elector's  favorite,  may  never  be  absent!  " 

"  And  I,  my  husband,"  said  the  Electress,  "  have  taken 
the  liberty  of  inviting  my  Lord  Marshal  von  Schwerin  to  this 
little  concert." 

"  Of  course,"  laughed  the  Princess,  "  Schwerin,  the  Elec- 
tress's  favorite,  may  never  be  absent!  " 

A  light  shadow  flitted  across  the  Elector's  brow,  but  he 
forced  himself  to  smile.  "  And  what  favorite  have  you  in- 
vited, Princess,  because  he  may  never  be  absent?  " 

"  I  have  no  favorite.  My  heart  is  dumb;  it  has  crept  into 
a  corner  of  my  soul,  and  there  sits  and  weeps.  Yet  speak  not 
of  me.  Let  us  talk  of  the  concert.  What  airs  and  duets  are 
these  signors  to  sing  for  us?  " 

"  Ah!  that  is  the  very  thing  about  which  I  wished  to  ask 
the  ladies.  These  gentlemen  would  leave  to  us  the  selec- 
tion of  music,  affirming  that  they  can  sing  all  the  operas  by 
heart.  But  to  my  shame  I  must  confess  that  I  am  so  ignorant 
as  not  even  to  know  the  names  of  the  Italian  operas  which 
are  now  represented  at  some  of  the  European  courts.  I  there- 
fore leave  to  the  ladies  the  choice  of  the  music." 

"  I  must  beg  to  be  excused,  my  dear,"  replied  Louisa 
softly;  "I  am  in  the  same  position  as  yourself,  Frederick. 
I,  too,  know  nothing  whatever  about  the  new  Italian  opera, 
not  even  rightly  understanding  what  is  meant  by  it.  I  know 
nothing  but  sacred  music,  fine  choruses,  hymns,  and  songs. 
These  form  the  joy  and  solace  of  my  soul,  but  I  have  never 
heard  any  operatic  music." 

"  Oh,  you  happy,  simple,  and  innocent  creature! "  cried 
Ludovicka,  tenderly  embracing  the  Electress,  "  how  I  envy 
you  that  innocence!  I,  alas!  possess  not  a  trace  of  it,  and 
my  restless  spirit  is  ever  longing  for  new  stimulants,  new  in- 
spiration. I  must  know  everything,  occupy  myself  with  all 
that  is  new  in  the  field  of  art,  and  so  soon  as  I  hear  of  such 


MUSIC   AND  ART.  387 

things,  no  rest  remains  to  me  until  I  have  made  nearer  ac- 
quaintance with  them.  That  is  because  I  lack  the  satisfac- 
tion and  quiet  restraints  of  the  household  circle,  for  which 
we  poor  women  are  destined." 

"  No,  cousin,  you  accuse  yourself  most  unjustifiably," 
cried  the  Elector,  with  animation.  "  You  blame  yourself 
where  you  merit  praise  and  commendation.  It  is,  indeed, 
praiseworthy  to  preserve  such  a  lively  interest  in  the  arts  and 
sciences  as  you  do,  and  to  this  we  have  been  indebted  for  hours 
of  the  brightest  enjoyment  during  your  few  weeks'  sojourn 
among  us.  What  a  pleasure  it  was  to  us  to-day,  for  instance, 
when  you  told  us  of  your  favorite  poet,  Shakespeare,  and 
how  our  souls  were  refreshed  by  that  wonderful  monologue 
which  you  repeated  to  us  from  his  tragedy  of  Julia  and 
her  lover.  It  is  marvelous  that  you  can  retain  all  that  in 
your  memory,  and  reproduce  it  as  if  you  were  yourself  an 
actress." 

"  Say,  rather,  it  would  be  a  shame  if  I  were  not  acquainted 
with  the  glorious  poetry  of  my  adored  William  Shakespeare, 
and  could  not  retain  a  few  of  his  lines  in  my  memory!  I  have 
grown  up  with  them;  noble  Shakespeare  has  always  been  my 
teacher,  counselor,  and  comforter,  although  he  has  been  dead 
fifty  years  already.  But  he  still  lives  immortal  in  his  works, 
and  speaks  to  us  with  the  flaming  tongue  of  the  seraph  and 
the  tender  voice  of  man.  How  could  I  help  knowing  Shakes- 
peare, since  my  mother  is  an  Englishwoman,  and  in  her  father- 
land he  is  idolized  by  the  whole  nation! " 

"I  wish,"  said  the  Elector  thoughtfully— " I  wish  that 
I  had  sufficient  acquaintance  with  the  English  language  to 
enable  me  to  read  those  beautiful  plays  of  your  great  poet, 
for  what  you  have  told  me  of  them  has  made  me  curious  to 
hear  more." 

"  I  will  read  Shakespeare  with  you,  cousin! "  cried  the 
Princess  joyfully,  "  and  what  you  do  not  understand  I  can 
translate  for  you  and  write  off  the  translation;  then  we  might 
study  a  few  scenes  from  the  plays  and  act  them,  as  we  used 
to  do  in  Paris  with  the  comedies  of  Moliere.  0  cousin,  dear 
cousin!  what  glorious,  delightful  hours  those  will  be,  and 
how  very  happy  we  shall  be — that  is  to  say,"  with  a  sweet  smile 


388  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

to  the  Electress — "  that  is  to  say,  if  our  beloved  Louisa  ap- 
proves, and  will  take  part  in  our  readings." 

"  I  will  take  part  in  everything  that  gives  my  dear  husband 
pleasure,"  returned  Louisa  cordially,  "  and,  although  I  may 
keep  silence  myself,  because  I  am  too  little  versed  in  these 
matters,  yet  I  take  pleasure  in  listening  to  you,  and  sympa- 
thize with  you  at  least  in  spirit." 

"Ah,  Louisa!  what  an  angel  you  are!  "  cried  Ludovicka; 
"  what  admirable  modesty  united  with  so  much  solid  informa- 
tion, such  an  active,  energetic  spirit!  " 

"  Indeed,  my  knowledge  is  very  limited,"  said  the  Elec- 
tress. "  My  information  concerns  only  the  farm  and  dairy, 
and  my  whole  art  consists  in  loving  my  husband  above  every- 
thing and  concentrating  my  thoughts  upon  making  him 
happy." 

"And  that,  dearest  Louisa,  is  an  art  which  you  under- 
stand to  perfection,"  exclaimed  the  Elector,  pressing  his 
wife's  hand  to  his  lips. 

"  Ah!  what  a  tender  matrimonial  scene,"  remarked  the 
Princess,  with  a  slight  touch  of  sarcasm  in  her  tone.  "  But 
we  have  entirely  forgotten  our  Italian  singers  and  their  con- 
cert/' 

"  And  the  operas  from  which  they  are  to  sing,"  added  the 
Elector.  "You  know  these  operas,  Princess  Ludovicka,  do 
you  not?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  we  have  often  sung  extracts  from  them  at  the 
court  of  the  Queen  mother,  Anne  of  Austria.  Her  Italian 
director  of  the  choir  was  also  my  singing  master,  as  Mignard, 
the  court  painter,  was  my  instructor  in  painting." 

"  Verily,  cousin,  I  must  repeat  that  you  are  a  miracle  of 
learning  and  acquirements!  "  cried  the  Elector. 

"  And  I,"  whispered  the  Electress  softly  to  herself — "  I  am 
a  poor,  pitiable  woman,  for  I  know  nothing  at  all  of  all  these 
things,  and  Frederick  will  be  weary  of  me  and  despise  me 
when  he  compares  me  with  Ludovicka,  for  she,  alas!  knows 
everything,  understands  everything,  and  is  so  witty,  so  beau- 
tiful, and  so  entertaining!  And  I — alas!  " 

She  suppressed  the  sigh  which  struggled  for  utterance, 
and  forced  herself  to  listen  with  a  smile  of  friendly  attention 


MUSIC  AND  ART.  389 

to  the  Princess's  explanation  of  the  nature  of  the  opera  that 
just  a  short  time  previously  had  come  from  Italy,  the  home 
of  music  and  art,  to  the  courts  of  Versailles,  Dresden,  and 
Vienna.  The  two  ladies  were  about  to  repair  to  the  music 
room,  escorted  by  the  Elector,  who  had  already  offered  each 
of  them  an  arm,  when  he  suddenly  stood  still  and  with  a  some- 
what embarrassed  air  turned  to  the  Prineess. 

"  By  the  way,"  he  said,  "  in  pleasant  conversation  with 
you  I  had  well-nigh  forgotten  a  principal  thing.  We  are 
now  to  have  the  pleasure  of  hearing  these  Italian  singers,  and 
we  may  do  so  with  full  right,  for  we  reward  them  quite  re- 
spectably for  their  trouble.  But  I  beg  of  you,  Electress  and 
you,  too,  Princess,  not  to  lavish  too  great  praise  upon  them 
when  the  performance  is  over.  Even  though  they  have  sung 
with  exquisite  taste  and  skill,  say  not  much  about  it.  I  have 
my  reasons  for  this,  and,  although  I  would  not  discuss  them 
further,  they  are  sufficiently  important  to  make  me  urge  you 
not  to  forget  my  request." 

With  lively  words  the  Princess  gave  assurance  that  she 
would  certainly  keep  this  in  mind.  The  Electress  said  noth- 
ing, but  her  eyes  met  those  of  the  Elector  with  a  smile  full  of 
meaning  and  intelligence.  They  now  repaired  to  the  music 
room,  where  were  already  assembled  Burgsdorf,  Schwerin, 
and  the  choristers,  and  the  two  Italian  singers  were  now  sum- 
moned. 

In  the  name  of  the  Electoral  pair  the  Princess  called  upon 
them  to  sing  from  the  Darius  of  Bevermi  and  the  Berenice 
of  Freschi,  and  the  eyes  of  the  two  singers  beamed  with  pleas- 
ure. For  these  two  operas  were  at  that  time  all  the  rage 
throughout  Italy,  and  offered  the  singers  the  best  opportunity 
of  displaying  their  extraordinary  accomplishments  and  going 
off  into  artistic  flourishes,  trills,  and  runs.  The  little  lead- 
incased  panes  of  glass  in  the  Electoral  apartment  rattled  in 
response  to  the  loudly  echoing  song,  and  the  old  gray  walls 
themselves  seemed  to  shake  as  if  agitated  by  these  melodies, 
the  like  of  which  had  never  been  heard  in  the  sedate  Elec- 
toral castle  of  Berlin.  What  shouts  of  joy  and  grief,  what 
glowing  love  and  painful  longing,  what  bursts  of  passion  and 
what  trembling  sighs!  The  impressions  made  upon  the  sev- 


390  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

eral  auditors  were  wholly  different.  The  distinguished  organ- 
ist and  celebrated  composer  Kruger  grew  purple  from  horror 
and  amazement.  His  eyes  were  wide  open,  and  about  his 
thick  lips  played  a  smile  of  inexpressible  contempt.  He  could 
not  help  it,  he  must  give  vent  to  his  spleen  in  a  few  words  at 
least.  He  therefore  turned  to  the  members  of  the  choir,  who 
stood  behind  him  speechless  and  awe-struck. 

"  Why,  the  fellows  sing  as  if  they  were  trained  nightin- 
gales," he  growled.  "  Nobody  can  see  that  it  costs  them  any 
effort  or  exertion.  That  is  no  art,  but  merely  poor,  plain  na- 
ture." 

Conrad  von  Burgsdorf  had  withdrawn  to  the  most  remote 
corner  of  the  apartment,  and  there  ensconced  himself  in  a 
leather-covered  chair.  The  cushion  was  not  quite  as  hard  as 
a  board,  and  the  back  was  comfortable.  The  sweet  melody 
had  probably  reminded  him  of  the  cradle  songs  of  his  youth, 
and  he  could  not  resist  his  inclination  to  close  his  eyes  a  little 
and  profit  by  the  opportunity  of  enjoying  a  sweet  afternoon 
nap. 

The  Lord  Marshal  Schwerin,  too,  seemed  little  edified  by 
this  overwhelming  display  of  Italian  art.  His  soft  and  hand- 
some countenance  twitched  painfully  at  times,  but  when  his 
eyes  rested  upon  the  Electress,  behind  whose  chair  he  stood, 
he  composed  his  features  and  assumed  an  air  of  gravity. 

But  the  Princess's  face  was  radiant  with  pleasure.  And 
when  the  voices  of  the  two  singers  now  blended  harmoniously 
in  a  scientific  duet,  and  went  off  into  shrill,  long-winded  trills, 
she  turned  with  a  deep  sigh  to  the  Elector,  who  sat  between 
her  and  his  wife,  and  whispered: 

"  I  have  never  heard  finer  or  better-cultivated  voices. 
They  are  singers  of  the  first  rank,  and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  listen 
to  them." 

"  A  pleasure,  indeed,"  murmured  the  Elector,  sighing  in- 
voluntarily, for  he  thought  that  he  could  not  often  enjoy  the 
pleasure  of  hearing  these  distinguished  singers.  Fifteen  hun- 
dred dollars  salary  for  both  would  be  too  great  an  ex- 
travagance for  a  prince  with  empty  coffers.  Sixteen  hun- 
dred dollars  would  clothe  a  whole  company  of  soldiers,  and 
two  singers  would  cost  double  that  amount.  The  Elector  of 


MUSIC  AND  ART.  391 

Brandenburg,  alas!  had  no  funds  at  his  own  disposal,  but 
must  ever  await  the  unwilling  grant  of  money  by  his  States. 
The  poor,  dependent  Elector  durst  not  expend  such  sums  upon 
two  foreign  musicians! 

"  But  all  this  must  be  altered,"  he  said  to  himself,  while 
the  singers  continued  their  marvelous  trills  and  flourishes. 
"  The  Elector  of  Brandenburg  must  not  always  be  restricted 
in  his  expenditures  by  the  whims  of  the  States;  there  must 
be  fixed  taxes,  a  regular  excise,  the  sources  of  income  must 
be  determined,  and  by  the  Elector  alone  must  be  determined 
the  disbursement  of  the  income.  Sovereign  he  will  be  within 
his  own  dominions — free,  unlimited  Sovereign!  He  will 
break  the  haughty  spirit  of  the  States,  grind  to  dust  and  ashes 
the  worn-out  rights  and  privileges  of  the  cities  and  States! 
They  cleave  to  tradition  and  the  past,  would  arrest  the  prog- 
ress of  the  world,  and  so  manage  to  retain  the  mastery,  their 
Sovereign  Prince  being  dependent  upon  their  will,  and  the 
burgher  and  peasant  kept  in  poverty  and  want.  The  States 
must  be  humbled,  that  the  burghers  may  be  exalted;  old  privi- 
leges must  vanish,  that  the  new  era,  the  era  of  progress,  may 
step  into  their  place!  " 

Sing  on,  artists,  trill  and  quaver  away!  The  Elector  does 
not  hear;  he  thinks  of  the  future,  of  all  that  destiny  has  or- 
dained him  to  accomplish,  and  he  ponders  upon  the  means  of 
accomplishing  it! 

But  now  the  song  is  hushed,  the  grand  duet  from  Berenice 
is  finished.  The  silence  rouses  the  Elector  from  his  reverie 
and  Conrad  von  Burgsdorf  from  his  sweet  slumbers.  The 
latter  starts  and  exclaims  with  animation:  "  Heavenly!  Won- 
derfully fine! "  The  composer  Kriiger  growls  out  a  few  un- 
intelligible words,  and  the  singers  look  with  their  large,  spark- 
ling black  eyes  at  the  Electoral  pair,  awaiting  their  acknowl- 
edgments and  plaudits. 

But  the  Elector  sits  there  silent  and  gloomy;  the  Princess 
Ludovicka,  too,  is  silent,  for,  however  much  she  may  have 
been  charmed  by  the  music,  she  remembers  his  request  that 
the  singers  be  not  complimented.  She  is  silent,  therefore, 
and  with  a  shrug  of  her  shoulders  turns  to  the  Elector, 
whispering  a  few  words  in  his  ear.  Then  all  at  once  this 


THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

painful  silence  is  broken  by  the  sweet,  gentle  voice  of  the 
Electress. 

"  What  glorious  music!  "  she  says,  with  a  charming  smile, 
at  the  same  time  turning  to  her  Lord  Marshal  von  Schwerin. 
"  What  glorious  music !  how  skillfully  and  tastefully  these 
gentlemen  have  sung! " 

The  eyes  of  the  two  Italians  flash  with  joy,  for,  as  is  her 
wont,  the  Electress  has  spoken  in  French,  and  they  have 
understood. 

"  I  beg,  lord  marshal,"  continued  the  Electress,  "  that 
you  will  present  the  two  singers  to  me,  that  I  may  thank  them 
in  person." 

The  lord  marshal  hastens  to  conduct  the  singers  to  her. 
But  the  Princess  Ludovicka  leans  over  toward  the  Elector, 
who  is  looking  at  his  wife  in  amazement  and  ill  humor. 

"  Good  heavens,  dear  cousin! "  she  whispers,  "  how  is  it 
possible  that  Louisa  can  so  utterly  have  forgotten  your  wishes? 
How  thoughtless  to  praise  these  people  so  loudly,  when  you 
bade  us  avoid  any  commendation  of  them  whatever! " 

"  True,  it  proves  little  regard  for  my  wishes.  I  thank 
you,  cousin,  for  so  graciously  heeding  my  request." 

Did  the  Electress  hear  these  words  of  her  husband?  For 
a  moment  her  clear  blue  eye  rested  upon  him  with  singular 
seriousness,  then  were  turned  again  to  the  singers,  who  stood 
before  her  and  had  just  made  her  their  profound  obeisance. 
With  distinct  voice  she  praised  their  singing,  and  invited 
Otto  von  Schwerin  to  join  her,  which  he  did  with  alac- 
rity. 

"  It  is  unheard  of,  it  is  abominable!  "  murmured  the  Prin- 
cess, loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  the  Elector,  and  he  felt  that 
Ludovicka  was  right,  and  in  his  heart  was  angry  with  his  wife, 
who  did  not  respect  his  wishes. 

Suddenly,  in  the  midst  of  her  conversation  with  the  sing- 
ers, Louisa  turned  to  her  husband.  "  Your  highness,"  she 
said  joyfully,  "  I  have  just  heard  that  these  gentlemen 
have  no  engagement  elsewhere,  and  would  be  inclined  to 
stay  with  us  and  often  gladden  us  with  their  delightful 
music." 

"  Indeed,  that  is  a  right  pleasant  prospect,"  murmured 


MUSIC  AND  ART.  393 

the  Elector,  rising  from  his  seat  and  with  a  forced  smile 
approaching  his  wife.  "  The  singers  could  stay  with  us,  then, 
and  dedicate  to  us  their  time  and  talents." 

"  Most  gracious  highness,"  asseverated  the  two  artists, 
"  we  should  esteem  ourselves  happy  if  your  highness  would 
condescend  to  take  us  into  your  service.  Baron  von  Plb'tzen 
opened  before  us  this  lofty  prospect  in  case  we  should  meet 
the  approval  of  your  Electoral  Highnesses." 

"  I  know,"  said  the  Elector  shortly.  "  I  shall  make  known 
my  decision  presently,  and  meanwhile  thank  you  for  your 
music.  Electress,  accept  my  arm,  and  let  me  lead  you  back  to 
your  room." 

He  reverentially  greeted  Princess  Ludovicka,  gave  a  pass- 
ing nod  to  the  gentlemen,  and  with  his  wife  left  the  music 
hall. 

Princess  Ludovicka,  however,  stepped  across  to  the  bow 
window  where  Burgsdorf' stood.  "My  friend,"  she  said,  "we 
are  ever  nearing  our  goal,  and  unconsciously  the  Electress  has 
become  our  ally.  She  provoked  the  Elector  to-day  by  her 
want  of  tact,  and  I  suspect  that  a  precious  matrimonial  scene 
is  going  on  in  her  apartments  now.  The  Electress  is  very  use- 
ful to  us  and  promotes  our  plans." 

"  Your  highness  believes,  then,  that  you  will,  succeed  in 
freeing  the  Elector  from  his  wife's  chains  ?  "  said  Burgsdorf, 
in  low  tones.  "  Well,  I  should  have  to  believe  in  magic  if  it 
were  not  so,  for  if  one  sees  side  by  side  a  full  crimson  rose  and 
a  buttercup,  and  may  take  his  choice,  surely  he  will  choose 
the  rose  and  leave  the  buttercup  to  the  cows." 

"  Burgsdorf,  you  are  witty  and  ingenious,  it  seems,"  smiled 
the  Princess. 

"  Most  gracious  Princess,  it  is  only  a  reflection  from  your 
sunshine.  But  I  must  tell  your  royal  highness  that  in  other 
respects  I  am  quite  desperate." 

"I,  too,  old  man,  for  our  plan  advances  but  slowly,  and 
I  am  being  continually  pressed  and  urged  from  Paris  to  bring 
matters  to  a  point.  For  the  rest,  I  am  expecting  a  courier 
every  day  to  give  me  the  exact  conditions  which  France  wishes 
to  impose.  Come  to  me  on  the  day  after  to-morrow;  I  will 
probably  have  received  the  dispatches  then,  and  we  can  agree 


394:  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

better  upon  everything.    But  hush!  there  comes  the  lord  mar- 
shal." 

Meanwhile  the  Elector  had  silently  led  his  wife  back  to 
her  cabinet.  When  the  door  closed  behind  them,  he  turned 
to  her  with  frowning  brow. 

"  Electress,"  he  asked,  "  had  you  entirely  forgotten  my  de- 
sire that  the  singers  should  not  be  praised?  " 

"  No,"  she  replied,  looking  smilingly  at  him — "  no,  I  had 
not  forgotten  it! " 

"What! "  cried  the  Elector,  astonished,  "you  thought  of 
it,  and  yet " 

"  Yet  I  praised  them,  Frederick,  and  it  seems  to  me  they 
well  deserved  that  praise.  They  are  distinguished  artists,  and 
whatever  your  lips  may  say,  in  your  heart  you  agree  with 
me." 

"  That  is  not  the  point  to  be  considered,  Electress,  but  the 
question  is  whether " 

"  I  will  tell  you,  Frederick,  what  the  question  is,"  inter- 
rupted the  Electress  kindly,  laying  her  hand  on  Frederick's 
shoulder.  "  The  case  is  simply  this:  The  Elector  would 
gladly  have  these  singers  in  his  choir,  but  finds  them  too 
dear,  and  would  therefore  pretend  not  to  like  them." 

"  Good  heavens,  Louisa!  how  do  you  know  that,  and  what 
betrayed  to  you  my  inmost  thoughts?  " 

"Your  countenance — your  dear,  truthful  countenance!" 
cried  she,  tenderly  stroking  his  cheek  with  her  small,  white 
hand.  "  Just  now,  when  you  expressed  your  wish  that  I 
should  not  commend  the  singers,  however  much  they  might 
please  me,  I  looked  at  you,  and  read  in  your  features  the  rea- 
son of  your  wish.  For  see,  Frederick,  I  am  not  learned  nor 
witty;  I  am  only  a  poor,  simple  woman,  possessing  but  one 
faculty,  which  no  one  shares  with  me.  I  can  read  your  coun- 
tenance, and  know  how  to  decipher  the  thoughts  stamped 
upon  your  forehead.  By  the  light  of  love  my  heart  has  studied 
your  whole  nature,  dived  into  its  intricacies,  and  learned  the 
interpretation  of  every  light  shadow.  So  I  knew  directly 
that  my  lord's  treasury  was  again  empty  through  the 
contumacy  of  the  States,  and  that  therefore  my  husband 
wished  to  dismiss  the  singers,  who  nevertheless  had  come 


MUSIC  AND  ART.  395 

by  his  own  desire.  They  demand  too  high  a  salary,  do  they 
not?" 

"  Yes,  indeed,  you  have  guessed,  my  'cute  little  Louisa," 
said  the  Elector,  whose  face  began  to  brighten. 

"  It  was  not  such  a  very  difficult  thing  to  do  for  a  woman 
who  loves  you,"  said  she  softly.  "  But  since,  fortunately,  I 
have  no  States  to  refuse  me  money,  and  my  finances  are  in  a 
very  flourishing  condition,  so  that  I  can  afford  to  make  an 
extra  expenditure,  I  have  determined  to  indulge  myself  by 
engaging  the  singers  whom  your  highness  was  about  to  scorn." 

"  0  Louisa!  "  cried  the  Elector,  "  I  begin  to  comprehend 
now,  and  your  goodness  makes  me  feel  heartily  ashamed  of 
myself." 

"  How  ashamed  ?  And  what  are  you  saying  about  my  good- 
ness? Ah,  I  understand!  My  husband  imagines  that  I  would 
offer  him  my  casket,  that  he  might  take  out  enough  money 
to  pay  the  wages  of  these  singers!  But  you  are  mistaken,  Sir 
Elector;  I  have  had  no  such  rash  idea,  and  it  has  never  entered 
my  head  to  lend  you  this  money.  For  I  know  you,  and  know 
what  would  be  the  end  of  it.  Instead  of  appropriating  the 
borrowed  sum  to  its  destined  object  you  would  have  equipped 
new  soldiers  and  still  discharged  the  singers." 

"  Ah,  Louisa,  dear  Louisa,  how  well  you  know  me! " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  I  know  you  well,  sir,  and  therefore  will 
take  good  care  not  to  open  my  casket  to  you.  My  money  would 
be  gone,  and  still  no  music,  for  the  singers  would  have  been 
dismissed  before  the  doors  had  closed  behind  me.  But  I  am 
charmed  with  this  Italian  singing.  It  is  so  different  from 
anything  I  have  ever  heard  before,  going  so  deep  into  the 
heart,  so  sweet,  so  graceful.  In  short,  I  must  hear  these  sing- 
ers often,  and  therefore  beg  your  permission,  my  dear  hus- 
band, to  engage  both  for  our  choir,  provided  that  you  think 
they  would  be  content  with  a  salary  of  eight  hundred  dollars 
apiece." 

"  They  have  never  aspired  to  so  much  as  that,"  cried  the 
Elector  quickly;  "  they  only  ask  for  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  each." 

"  Ah!  my  husband,  how  exact  your  knowledge  is,  as  if 
you  had  actually  designed  to  engage  them!  But  I  do  not 
26 


396  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

mean  that  these  artists  shall  be  torn  from  me  again.  I  insist 
upon  having  my  wish.  It  shall  not  be  believed  of  the  Electress 
of  Brandenburg  that  she  has  a  taste  for  no  higher  music  than 
the  tinkling  of  cowbells  and  the  lowing  of  cattle,  or  that  a 
sacred  choral  goes  to  her  heart  more  than  the  airs  and  duets 
of  these  great  Italian  artists.  Oh,  no;  I,  too,  know  what  is 
fine  and  exalted,  and  in  proof  thereof  I  now  engage  these  two 
signors.  I  crave  your  permission,  most  gracious  Elector. 
Allow  me  to  commission  my  Lord  Marshal  von  Schwerin  to 
treat  with  these  artists  and  to  conclude  the  engagement  with 
them." 

"  No  further  transactions  will  be  needed,  Electress,  for 
they  have  already  made  their  stipulations,  and  Baron  von 
Plotzen  made  the  contract  with  them  in  Dresden,  provided 
that  they  could  gain  our  approbation." 

"  That  they  could  gain  your  approbation,  you  mean,  Fred- 
erick. But  if  I  were  to  accept  those  conditions  now,  Elector, 
everybody  would  believe  and  say  that  your  highness  had  en- 
gaged these  two  singers  for  the  chapel,  and  there  would  be 
great  grumbling  and  talking  among  the  States.  They  would 
say, '  If  the  Elector  has  money  enough  to  engage  these  Italian 
nightingales,  it  is  by  no  means  necessary  to  open  new  sources 
of  income  to  him,  and  we  shall  take  good  care  not  to  grant 
him  the  tax  which  he  asks  of  us  because  he  maintains  that  he 
has  no  money  wherewith  to  clothe  his  militia.  You  see,  sir, 
it  will  not  do  for  the  transactions  to  be  carried  on  in  your 
name;  on  the  contrary,  they  must  be  conducted  in  my  name, 
by  my  lord  marshal,  for  at  present  I  alone  can  allow  myself 
such  an  indulgence.  Thank  God,  we  do  not  hold  here  to 
community  of  goods,  so  that  it  may  well  happen  that  my 
husband  has  no  money  while  I  am  wallowing  in  wealth. 
I  draw  a  splendid  annuity  from  Holland,  the  Electorate 
of  Brandenburg  has  also  assigned  me  a  handsome  grant, 
and  then  I  have  besides  the  revenues  from  my  estate  of  Boet- 
zow.  You  know,  twice  every  week  I  send  the  produce  of 
my  farm  to  Berlin,  and  sell  in  the  market  butter,  milk, 
and  cheese,  and  that  of  course  brings  in  quite  considerable 
sums." 

"  Not  that  it  covers  in  the  hundredth  part  the  expenditures 


MUSIC  AND  ART.  397 

which  your  highness  has  incurred  at  Boetzow,"  smilingly  re- 
marked the  Elector. 

"  Maybe  so,"  continued  the  Electress;  "  but  I  am  happily 
not  called  to  render  an  account  of  this  to  the  States,  and  none 
of  them  have  the  shamelessness  to  question  me  as  to  the  way 
in  which  I  spend  my  means.  I  may  therefore  dare  to  do  what 
you  may  not,  sir.  And  then  reflect  that,  as  you  told  me  your- 
self, the  talk  at  a  recent  sitting  of  your  privy  council  fell  upon 
the  choir,  and  that  the  privy  councilors  thought  that  it  would 
be  necessary  for  your  highness  to  economize  in  that  direc- 
tion, and  retrench  in  your  expenditures.  A  goodly  sum  might 
be  saved  if  your  highness  would  dispense  with  a  choir.  You 
also  promised  so  to  do.  What  would  be  the  impression,  then, 
if  you  were  now  to  engage  two  costly  singers?  No,  no;  I  alone 
can  enjoy  this  luxury;  everybody  shall  know  that  it  is  I  who 
does  it,  and  for  that  reason  I  so  shocked  the  organist  Kriiger 
to-day,  and,  to  the  just  indignation  of  my  dear  cousin,  praised 
the  two  artists  so  extravagantly,  laying  myself  out  to  do  them 
honor.  I  would  have  everybody  know  that  I  engaged  the 
singers,  and  that  they  are  to  be  paid  out  of  my  treasury. 
Schwerin  shall  therefore  close  the  contract  with  them  this 
very  day,  provided  that  you  grant  me  the  permission  I  now 
humbly  sue  for." 

"  Louisa,"  said  the  Elector,  laying  both  hands  upon  his 
wife's  shoulders  and  looking  at  her  with  fervent  glances,  "  do 
you  really  believe  that  I  am  deceived  by  all  these  words,  and 
by  your  raptures  over  these  Italian  singers?  Do  you  suppose 
that  I  understand  you  no  better,  and  do  not  appreciate  the 
tender,  magnanimous  soul  which  would  veil  itself  under  words 
and  yet  can  not?  Thank  you,  my  gentle,  faithful  wife,  thank 
you!  You  would  give  me  pleasure  while  pretending  to  be 
thinking  only  of  yourself,  and  depreciating  your  act  as  if 
it  were  of  no  value.  0  Louisa!  contrasted  with  you,  I  feel 
humbled  and  right  ashamed,  hardly  daring  to  lift  my  sin- 
ful eyes  to  your  purity  and  loveliness.  I  repent,  beloved,  and 
confess  my  fault!  I  was  ill  humored  and  angry  with  you, 
not  understanding  immediately  why  you  acted  as  you  did. 
I  fancied  myself  justified  in  finding  fault  with  you,  and  my 
spirit  was  stirred  against  you.  Ah!  how  little  does  man 


398  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER 

know  the  depth  and  tenderness  of  a  woman's  heart,  and  how 
much  more  trustful,  noble,  and  magnanimous  are  you  women 
when  you  love!  Forgive  me,  Louisa,  please  forgive  me." 

"  I  have  nothing  to  forgive  in  you,"  said  she,  smiling,  her 
voice  trembling  slightly.  "  But  if  you  think  so,  I  will  tell 
you  how  you  can  make  prompt  and  ample  amends." 

"  How,  Louisa?  " 

"In  firm,  decided  words  give  me  leave  to  engage  these 
wonderful  Italian  singers,  permit  the  affair  to  be  transacted 
by  my  lord  marshal  in  my  name,  and  allow  their  appointment 
as  members  of  your  choir  to  be  made  by  myself." 

"  Well,  my  extravagant  wife,  I  grant  your  wish — on  cer- 
tain conditions,  however." 

"  Name  your  conditions,  Frederick!  " 

"  In  the  first  place,  you  must  give  me  a  kiss  in  token  of 
your  forgiveness.  Say,  do  you  accept  my  first  condition?" 

"  Not  until  you  have  named  the  others." 

"I  have  only  one  more,  and  here  it  is:  I  give  my  consent 
to  your  request,  and  you  can  take  the  Italians  into  our  service 
in  your  name.  But  you  must  first,  openly  and  candidly,  an- 
swer this  question:  Do  you  actually  find  such  exalted  delight 
in  listening  to  these  artists?  Do  opera  music  and  singing 
please  you?" 

"What  a  question!"  replied  the  Electress,  with  a  pretty 
pout.  "  Do  you  take  me  for  a  barbarian  who  can  not  be  pleased 
with  what  must  throw  everybody  into  ecstasies  and  exalt  one 
to  the  seventh  heaven?  Do  you  esteem  me  so  utterly  unpol- 
ished and  devoid  of  taste  as  not  to  comprehend  the  wonder- 
ful powers  displayed  by  these  musicians,  the  purity  of  their 
tones,  and  the  flexibility  of  their  organs?  And  then,  that 
music,  that  passionate,  glowing,  melting  music,  which  affects 
the  mind  so  strangely;  how  wholly  different  is  the  effect  pro- 
duced by  listening  to  a  hymn  or  sacred  song,  by  which  the 
heart  feels  touched,  and  the  eyes  grow  moist  with  emotion! 
By  this  music  we  are  not,  indeed,  made  to  weep,  and  the  feel- 
ings are  not  touched,  but  we  are  excited;  it  is  as  when  one 
has  drunk  a  glass  of  heavy  wine,  which  mounts  to  the  head 
and  causes  a  slight  dizziness." 

"And  afterward  follows  a  slight  intoxication,  eh?    Hark, 


JESUS  MY  CONFIDENCE.  399 

Louisa!  you  have  not  given  me  a  candid  answer,  and  fulfilled 
one  of  my  conditions.  1  will  now  tell  you  that  I  actually 
wonder  at  these  singers,  and  it  will  give  me  genuine  pleasure 
to  hear  this  new  opera  music  right  often,  and  to  be  a  little  in- 
toxicated by  it.  But  now,  answer  me  honestly,  how  do  you 
like  this  style  of  song  and  music?  " 

The  Electress  laughingly  flung  her  arm  around  him. 
"  Abominable!  "  she  whispered,  "  perfectly  abominable!  " 
The  Elector  laughed,  too,  and,  while  he  ardently  pressed 
Louisa  to  his  heart,  he  took  from  her  lips  the  fulfillment  of 
his  first  condition.    And  now,  both  conditions  being  fulfilled, 
the  Signors  Grimani  and  Altiera,  by  command  of  the  Electress, 
were  engaged  for  her  choir,  and  were  the  first  Italian  singers 
who  electrified  Berlin  by  their  birdlike  voices,  and  excited  the 
rapture  of  the  public. 


VII. — JESUS  MY  CONFIDENCE. 

"!T  must  be,  yes,  it  must  be! "  cried  the  Princess  Ludo- 
vicka  Hollandine.  "  This  affair  must  at  last  be  decided!  " 

"  Most  heartily  I  second  the  wish,"  sighed  Burgsdorf .  "  If 
we  do  not  now,  through  your  highness,  once  more  gain  the 
Elector  and  hold  him  fast,  he  will  be  entirely  lost  to  us,  and 
the  dear  old  customs  of  his  country,  and  every  vestige  of  an- 
cient law  and  order,  will  be  irretrievably  destroyed.  But  the 
Electress  alone  is  to  blame  for  all  these  things.  She  intro- 
duced these  new  ideas  into  the  land,  and  everything  here  will 
be  transformed  through  her  influence.  The  good,  honest, 
merry  Markers  are  to  be  changed  into  slow,  dull,  busy  Dutch- 
men, knowing  nothing  but  how  to  pray  and  work.  Our  sandy 
soil  is  to  be  suddenly  converted  into  a  Dutch  garden,  and  all 
is  to  be  brought  about  with  as  much  nicety  and  delicacy  as  if 
men  were  no  longer  men  and  women  no  longer  women.  Most 
gracious  highness,  aid  me,  I  beseech  you — save  my  Elector 
for  me,  preserve  to  me  his  friendship,  for  otherwise  I  am  lost. 
He  used  always  to  call  me  his  old  friend,  often  his  father,  but 


400  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

for  weeks  it  has  been  no  longer  so,  and  my  heart  is  well-nigh 
bursting;  I  am  becoming  desperate." 

"  To  what  end  that  comic  acting,  my  dear  old  man?  " 
asked  the  Princess,  smiling.  "  Why  would  you  persuade  me 
that  nought  but  concern  for  the  Elector's  lost  friendship  makes 
you  desperate?  Eather  speak  out  honestly,  and  say  that  you 
dread  losing  your  influence  over  the  Elector  and  being  sup- 
planted by  the  Electress.  Everybody  struggles  for  life,  and 
he  who  has  been  accustomed  to  dwell  in  sunshine  and  in  the 
full  splendor  of  daylight  can  not  all  at  once  vegetate  in  night 
and  darkness.  And  you  shall  not  either.  You  are  and  shall 
remain  the  all-powerful  friend  and  minister  of  the  Elector, 
and  to  that  end  I  will  sustain  you,  as  in  return  you  must  stand 
by  me,  that  we  may  compass  all  that  France  desires.  You  know 
what  are  the  conditions  upon  which  France  promises  you  an 
annuity  for  life  of  twenty  thousand  livres,  secured  to  you  by 
bond?" 

"For  Heaven's  sake,  your  highness,"  murmured  Burgs- 
dorf,  casting  an  anxious  glance  through  the  whole  apartment, 
"  speak  lower!  These  old,  crumbling  vails  might  have  holes 
in  them,  and  other  ears  than  mine  might  hear  your  words!  " 

"  Dear  me,  they  are  much  too  honorable  and  too  artless 
for  such  things  here! "  cried  the  Princess,  shrugging  her 
shoulders.  "  There  is  no  ear  of  Dionysius  here,  and  you  may 
shout  out  the  deepest  secrets  of  your  heart  in  this  old  barrack 
without  being  heard  by  anybody.  The  Elector  and  Electress 
live  in  the  other  wing,  and  on  a  different  story,  and  I  have 
the  honor  of  being  the  sole  occupant  of  this  side  of  the  castle. 
Besides,  I  purposely  came  with  you  into  my  dressing  room, 
because  this  chamber  has  no  mode  of  egress  save  through  my 
sitting  room  and  the  little  arras  door  there  leading  into  my 
maid's  chamber.  Nobody  could  hear  us  but  my  servant,  and 
I  gave  her  leave  of  absence  to-day,  and  she  has  gone  to  Boet- 
zow.  The  Electress  also  went  there  early  this  morning,  ac- 
companied only  by  her  lord  marshal,  who  is  quite  a  factotum 
with  her,  being  at  the  same  time  architect  of  the  new  palace 
at  Boetzow  and  inspector  of  her  grounds.  The  Elector  stayed 
here  to  read  Shakespeare  with  me,  and  afterward  the  Italian 
singers  are  to  come  and  we  shall  make  music  together." 


JESUS  MY  CONFIDENCE.  401 

"  That  is  to  say,  your  highness  has  conquered,  and  Einaldo 
wears  the  chains  of  the  fairest  Armida." 

"  The  Elector  is  indeed  affectionate  to  me,  and  I  now 
hope  that  success  is  about  to  crown  our  united  efforts.  I  shall 
do  to-day  what  I  have  done  never  before.  I  shall  introduce  a 
little  politics  into  our  conversation,  and  for  the  first  time  hint 
at  an  alliance  with  France.  To-morrow  morning,  at  the  sit- 
ting of  the  privy  council,  you  will  advocate  this  alliance,  and 
so  conduct  matters  that  the  Elector  shall  commission  you  to 
go  to  Paris  and  treat  with  the  King's  ministers.  You  have 
your  instructions  and  know  what  to  demand  and  what  to  con- 
cede. In  some  sort  France  recognizes  you  as  her  minister  at 
the  Brandenburg  court,  and  pays  you  a  pension  for  life.  The 
document  securing  this  to  you  must  be  here  very  soon,  to- 
gether with  a  few  other  important  papers,  which  Cardinal 
Mazarin  will  send  me.  I  expected  the  courier  to-day,  and  am 
astonished  at  his  non-arrival." 

"  The  roads  are  bad,  and  the  recent  rains  have  made  them 
much  worse,  so  that  the  courier  may  well  have  been  detained." 

"  True,  and  yet  he  always  comes  at  the  right  time.  There- 
fore, you  know  what  you  have  to  do.  We  must  now  hasten 
the  crisis,  and  I  trust  that  the  Elector  is  ripe  for  our  plans. 
So  the  watchword  is:  Union  with  France,  opposition  to  the 
Emperor  of  Germany,  to  Sweden,  and  to  Poland.  The  Elector 
pledges  himself  not  to  give  his  vote  at  the  election  at  Frank- 
fort to  the  son  of  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  but  to  exert  him- 
self to  secure  the  election  of  the  son  of  the  Saxon  electoral 
house  as  King  of  the  Eomans,  and  to  give  him  his  vote.  If 
it  comes  to  a  declaration  of  war  between  Austria  and  France, 
the  Elector  is  to  side  with  the  latter,  furnishing  auxiliary 
troops  and  supporting  the  French  troops  in  all  their  under- 
takings. In  return,  France  guarantees  to  the  Elector  his  pos- 
sessions on  the  Rhine,  as  well  as  the  dukedom  of  Prussia,  and 
pays  him  annually  a  million  livres.  You  know  all  now.  Go, 
then,  and 

"What  was  that?"  exclaimed  the  Princess,  starting  and 
lifting  her  eyes  to  the  ceiling  of  her  room.  "  Did  you  hear 
nothing?" 

"  Your  highness,"  muttered  Burgsdorf,  "  the  rafter  seemed 


402  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

to  me  to  creak,  and  only  see  how  dust  and  lime  are  sifting 
through  the  boards  nailed  across  the  ceiling." 

"  Good  heavens!  what  if  anybody  should  be  up  there?  " 
whispered  the  Princess.  "  Suppose  that  we  have  been  over- 
heard?" 

"  Will  your  highness  condescend  to  dismiss  me  ?  "  mur- 
mured Burgsdorf .  "  I  will  go  and  see  whether  anybody  is  up 
there,  and  if  I  catch  him " 

"  Hush,  hush! "  whispered  the  Princess;  "  just  listen. 
There  is  that  creaking  again,  and  a  whole  cloud  of  dust  comes 
pouring  down  through  the  boards.  Dear  me,  how  anxious  I 

feel,  and  if  I  thought  that  the  Elector Oh,  no,  no,  that  is 

utterly  impossible!  How  could  it  have  occurred  to  him  to 
climb  up  there,  and  why  should  he  wish  to  play  the  spy  upon 
us?  No,  no,  it  must  have  been  a  rat  running  about  there." 

"  A  rat  could  not  make  the  rafters  creak,  nor  raise  a  cloud 
of  dust,"  sighed  Burgsdorf.  "  I  am  afraid,  your  highness, 
really  and  truly,  I  am  afraid,  and  I  feel  as  if  the  door  might 
open  and  the  devil  enter  in  bodily  shape!  Dismiss  me,  your 
highness,  dismiss  me! " 

"  Go,  Burgsdorf!  And  to-morrow  be  clever  with  your 
tongue,  think  of  your  French  minister's  salary,  and  remember 
that  I  shall  soon  present  you  the  promised  document  signed 
by  Mazarin! " 

She  nodded  a  condescending  farewell  to  Burgsdorf,  who 
was  struck  perfectly  dumb,  and,  as  soon  as  he  had  disappeared, 
went  into  her  reception  room.  On  the  threshold  she  paused, 
once  more  looking  back  at  the  half-obliterated  angels  and  the 
boards  on  the  ceiling  above. 

"It  can  not  have  been  anything,"  she  said,  drawing  a 
breath  of  relief.  "  Old  Burgsdorf  is  a  coward,  and  I  myself 
am  a  timid  little  fool.  Courage,  Ludovicka,  courage!  Your 
past  is  to  be  avenged,  the  tears  of  your  youth  are  to  be  dried, 
while  the  tears  of  another  shall  be  made  to  flow.  Yes,  she 
shall  weep  as  I  have  wept,  and  I  shall  drive  her  from  the  place 
which  belongs  to  me! 

"Will  you  succeed,  Ludovicka?"  she  asked  of  herself,  as 
she  stepped  to  the  mirror  and  gazed  at  herself  with  searching 
glances.  "  Are  you  still  young,  beautiful,  and  lovely  enough 


JESUS  MY  CONFIDENCE.  403 

to  supplant  this  pretty  young  woman?  It  is  true  that  she  is 
more  beautiful,  yet  it  is  only  the  tame  beauty  of  virtuous 
women.  But  in  these  black  eyes,  which  I  see  reflected  in  the 
glass,  gleams  something  of  the  fires  of  hell,  and  the  heart  of 
him  who  looks  into  them  must  be  consumed.  Did  not  Car- 
dinal Mazarin  often  call  me  a  demon,  and,  when  I  recently 
took  leave  of  him,  did  he  not  say:  '  You  are  a  diavolezza,  and 
a  little  imp  dances  upon  the  tip  of  every  one  of  your  fingers. 
Go  now  and  enchant  the  Elector! '  Yes,  yes,  I  will  enchant 
him,  and  have  done  so  already.  Drop  by  drop  I  have  infused 
into  him  the  poison,  the  bitter  poison  of  jealousy,  and  also 
poured  in  drop  by  drop  the  sweet  balsam  of  love.  He  is  jealous 
of  her  and  he  loves  me.  Rejoice  then,  Ludovicka,  rejoice,  the 
great  work  will  succeed,  and  ere  a  year  has  expired  you  will  be 
Electress  of  Brandenburg." 

A  knock  was  heard  at  the  door,  and  the  Elector's  voice 
asked,  "  May  I  come  in?  " 

Forthwith  the  Princess's  countenance  assumed  an  expres- 
sion of  radiant  joy.  She  flew  to  the  door,  tore  it  open,  and 
bade  him  welcome  with  tender  words.  He  kissed  her  hand, 
and  took  his  seat  on  the  sofa  at  her  side. 

"  How  snug  and  quiet  it  is  here! "  he  said,  "  and  what  a 
comfort  it  is  amid  the  vexatious  cares  of  government  to  look 
forward  to  being  consoled  by  your  conversation  and  amiable 
presence! " 

"  My  presence  must  soon  be  changed  into  absence.  The 
dream  is  drawing  to  a  close,  Frederick,  and  a  bitter,  painful 
awakening  will  follow." 

"  No,  no,  Ludovicka,  you  must  not  leave  me.  It  is  such  a 
happiness  to  be  near  you,  you  must  not  deprive  me  of  it  yet. 
Think  of  the  beautiful  fable  of  ^Egeria  and  Numa  Pompilius; 
be  my  ^Egeria,  charming  Princess." 

"  ^Egeria  was  the  counselor  of  Numa  Pompilius,  and  he 
consulted  with  her  concerning  affairs  of  state.  You  see,  Fred- 
erick, your  comparison  does  not  hold  good,  for  when  would 
you  do  me  the  honor  of  asking  my  advice  about  such  serious 
matters?" 

"  I  shall  do  so  directly,  my  J^geria,  and  this  very  day  you 
must  give  me  your  advice.  For  only  see,  like  Hercules,  I 


404  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

stand  at  a  cross  way,  with  two  beautiful,  enticing  women 
beckoning  to  me.  The  name  of  one  is  France,  the  name  of 
the  other  Austria.  Just  to-day  I  have  received  dispatches 
containing  important  tidings  from  my  ambassadors  at  Vienna 
and  Paris.  The  Emperor  of  Germany  informs  me  that  France 
has  devised  a  scheme  for  my  ruin,  and  would  league  herself 
with  Sweden  and  Poland  against  me.  France  has  allotted  my 
dukedom  of  Prussia  to  Poland,  which  in  return  will  cede 
Liesland  to  the  crown  of  Sweden.  I  am  to  be  quieted  and 
appeased  by  a  subsidy.*  And  this,  the  Emperor  informs  me, 
is  the  plan  which  the  French  ambassador,  Count  Chanut, 
has  proposed  at  Stockholm,  and  which  he  recommends  as  a 
means  for  holding  in  check  the  house  of  Austria  and  the 
German  princes."  f 

"  I  do  not  believe  it! "  cried  Ludovicka,  with  animation. 
"  I  know  Count  Chanut;  he  is  much  too  clever  a  diplomatist, 
much  too  wise  a  statesman,  to  make  such  wild,  hazardous 
proposals.  Besides,  I  know  that  the  count  esteems  and  reveres 
you,  declares  you  to  be  the  noblest  most  gifted  Prince  in 
Europe,  and  prophesies  for  you  a  brilliant  future.  No,  my 
dear  friend,  trust  not  to  these  Austrian  innuendoes.  Aus- 
tria meditates  your  ruin,  and  will  never  contribute  to  mak- 
ing Brandenburg  great  and  powerful." 

"  That  is  true,"  said  the  Elector  thoughtfully.  "  Aus- 
tria is  very  jealous  of  her  power.  She  would  gladly  re-estab- 
lish her  old  supremacy,  and  act  as  if  Emperor  and  empire 
were  on  the  same  footing  as  before  the  Peace  of  Westphalia." 

"  And  did  you  not  say,  my  friend  Numa  Pompilius,  that 
you  had  also  dispatches  from  youi  ambassador  at  Paris?  " 

"Yes,  my  ./Egeria.  Herr  von  Jena  writes  me  of  a  very 
important  conference  which  he  has  had  with  Cardinal  Maza- 
rin.  His  eminence  informs  me,  through  my  ambassador, 
that  Austria  is  intriguing  against  me,  and  has  suggested  to 
Spain  to  prolong  the  contest  in  the  Netherlands  in  order 
to  possess  herself  of  my  Ehenish  provinces.  Lorraine  is  to 
furnish  Spain  the  support  of  his  troops  in  this  undertaking, 
and  if  I  march  there  and  offer  battle,  then  the  Emperor  of 

*  Droysen,  History  of  Prussian  Politics,  vol.  iii,  part  3,  p.  61. 
f  Droysen,  the  same. 


JESUS  MY  CONFIDENCE.  405 

Germany  will  empower  his  son-in-law,  the  King  of  Poland, 
to  take  possession  again  of  my  dukedom  of  Prussia  and  in- 
vest it  with  his  troops.  In  the  name  of  the  King,  the  cardinal 
now  offers  me  his  assistance  in  opposing  such  traitorous 
schemes.  He  invites  me  to  enter  into  a  league  with  the  King 
of  France,  but  at  the  same  time  a  league  against  the  Emperor 
of  Germany.,  He  offers  me  money,  troops,  possession  of  lands, 
and  asks  nothing  in  return  but  that  I  shall  become  a  faithful 
ally  to  France  and  assist  the  King  in  all  his  wars.  Now  say, 
^Egeria,  whom  am  I  to  follow,  which  alliance  shall  I  accept?  " 

"The  alliance  with  the  King  of  France!"  cried  Ludo- 
vicka  enthusiastically.  "  The  alliance  of  the  noblest,  great- 
est, mightiest  state  in  Europe!  Beware  of  Austria,  for  she  is 
your  rival.  Trust  France,  for  she  is  your  friend.  She  prom- 
ises you  soldiers,  money,  and  possession  of  lands — that  is  to 
say,  she  promises  you  a  great  and  glorious  future.  Accept 
it,  Frederick  William,  reject  not  the  laurels  which  France 
offers  you." 

"  Thank  you,  ^Egeria,"  said  the  Elector,  smiling.  "  You 
are  indeed  a  fiery  counselor  and  a  zealous  statesman.  But 
a  truce  to  politics  now;  they  do  not  quite  become  the  lips 
of  my  sweet  cousin.  It  is  much  sweeter  and  more  attrac- 
tive to  hear  them  speak  of  poetry  and  love." 

"Of  love,  Frederick?"  said  the  Princess.  Her  glowing 
glances  sunk  deep  into  the  Elector's  eyes.  "  Would  that  I 
could  read  to  the  bottom  of  your  heart,  my  friend.  I  should 
like  to  know  if  recollections  of  the  past  are  inscribed  there, 
whether  they  have  revived  within  you.  0  Frederick!  I 
should  like  to  know  if  your  old  love  has  grown  young  again." 
She  softly  laid  her  head  against  his  shoulder. 

"  Hush,  hush!  "  said  he  gently;  "  lift  not  the  veil  from  my 
heart.  There  are  secrets  which  may  be  confided  to  none, 
hardly  to  one's  self;  and  to  what  purpose  should  I  do  so, 
Ludovicka?  Am  I  not  married?" 

She  lifted  her  head  from  his  shoulder  and  looked  at  him 
with  a  fascinating  smile.  "  Are  your  soul  and  heart  wedded 
or  only  your  hand,  Frederick?  " 

He  avoided  her  glance  and  turned  his  head  aside. 

"  Only  iny  hand,  Ludovicka." 


406  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

She  uttered  a  low  cry,  and  with  a  passionate  movement 
flung  both  her  arms  around  his  neck. 

"  Then  you  are  not  married,"  she  whispered;  "  then  you 
will  break  this  bond,  in  which  your  soul  and  heart  have  no 
part! " 

"I  shall  separate  from  her/'  murmured  the  Elector, 
trembling. 

"  Are  you  not  already  separated  from  her,  since  she  loves 
you  no  longer?  Have  you  not  a  right  to  separate  from  her, 
since  she  is  childless?  " 

"  But  she  loves  me,  Ludovicka." 

"  No;  she  loves  Herr  Otto  von  Schwerin.  Good  heavens, 
Frederick,  are  you  blind? — is  that  a  secret  to  you  which  all 
the  world  knows?  Have  you  not  remarked  the  glowing  love 
existing  between  the  chaste  and  modest  Electress  and  her 
noble,  virtuous  lord  marshal?  " 

The  Elector  started.  "  Serpent,  0  serpent!  "  he  cried,  in 
unutterable  wrath.  Then,  shuddering,  he  clasped  both  hands 
before  his  face  and  sighed  aloud. 

The  face  of  the  Princess  was  radiant,  and  her  glowing 
eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  Elector  with  an  expression  of  de- 
moniacal glee. 

Mazarin  was  indeed  right;  she  was  a  diavolezza,  and 
upon  the  tip  of  each  of  her  fingers  danced  a  little  imp. 

"  No,  she  does  not  love  you,  Frederick  William,"  she 
whispered.  "  She  deceives  you  and  laughs  in  her  sleeve  at 
her  unsuspecting  husband.  At  this  very  hour,  while  you  are 
here  with  me,  she  is  with  him  again  at  Boetzow — in  tender 
solitude,  in  sweet  retirement  with  her  lover! " 

The  Elector  jumped  up  and  let  his  hands  fall  from  before 
his  face,  which  she  saw  was  pale  and  colorless.  But  his  eyes 
flashed  and  sparkled  with  excitement  and  indignation.  "  I 
will  go! "  he  said  with  hollow  voice.  "  I  will  surprise  them! 
Hush,  not  a  word,  Ludovicka;  do  not  detain  me.  An  end 
must  be  put  to  this,  a  sudden  end.  Farewell,  Ludovicka,  fare- 
well! " 

And  with  rapid  strides  he  left  the  room. 

Princess  Ludovicka  looked  after  him  with  triumphant 
glances.  "I  have  conquered,"  she  exulted,  and  springing 


JESUS  MY  CONFIDENCE.  407 

to  the  mirror,  she  bowed  to  the  reflection  of  her  own  image, 
whispering,  "  I  congratulate  you,  Electress  of  Brandenburg. 
I  congratulate  you! " 

Outside  the  door  of  her  apartment  stood  the  Elector. 
With  flashing  eyes,  lifting  his  clinched  fists  to  heaven,  he 
whispered  fiercely:  "  Serpent,  0  serpent!  I  will  have  my 
revenge,  yes,  I  will  have  my  revenge!  I  must  away — away 
to  Boetzow! " 

He  hastened  down  the  corridor,  entered  his  own  apart- 
ments, and  bade  the  chamberlain  order  the  carriage  with- 
out delay.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  it  rolled  out  of  the 
castle  gate.  The  Elector  had  left  for  Boetzow. 

The  Electress  Louisa  Henrietta  had  just  completed  her 
inspection  of  the  cowhouses  and  dairy  rooms.  She  had  re- 
garded with  peculiar  pleasure  the  fine  brown  cows  sent  to  her 
from  The  Hague  recently  by  her  mother,  and  had  just  entered 
the  little  room  next  the  dairy.  In  the  window  stood  the 
writing  desk,  which  she  had  kept  in  her  counting  room  at 
The  Hague,  and  everything  was  arranged  exactly  as  it  had 
been  there.  Three  years  ago,  when  the  Elector  had  presented 
Boetzow  to  her,  he  had  prepared  for  her  the  sweet  surprise 
of  finding  all  the  farming  arrangements  exactly  modeled 
after  her  own  little  establishment  near  the  Buitenhof,  and 
even  the  dairymaids  and  stewardesses  whom  she  had  left  there 
she  had  found  again  when  the  Elector  for  the  first  time  had 
taken  her  to  Boetzow. 

To-day  was  Saturday,  when  the  weekly  accounts  were 
rendered.  Louisa  Henrietta,  therefore,  drew  forth  the  ac- 
count books  from  her  desk,  and  with  grave  demeanor  ex- 
amined the  papers  lying  before  her.  In  the  midst  of  this 
employment  she  was  interrupted  by  the  entrance  of  a  bloom- 
ing, contented-looking  peasant  girl,  clad  in  the  Dutch  cos- 
tume. 

"Most  gracious  lady!"  she  said,  in  the  good,  broad  dia- 
lect of  her  native  land,  "  Dappled  Brown  has  just  calved  and 
given  birth  to  two  calves  at  once." 

"  I  am  pleased  to  hear  it,  Trnde,"  said  the  Electress,  nod- 
ding kindly  upon  her.  "  Tend  the  little  creatures  carefully, 


408  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

that  they  may  thrive  well,  for  you  know  Dappled  Brown  is 
our  best  cow." 

"  I  shall  do  so,  most  gracious  lady,  for  I  love  Dappled 
Brown  very  much.  Do  you  know  why?  " 

"  No,  Trude,  I  do  not  indeed." 

"It  is,"  said  Trude,  casting  down  her  eyes  and  in  con- 
fusion pulling  at  her  white  apron,  "  it  is  because  Dappled 
Brown  reminds  me  of  old  times.  Do  you  remember,  gracious 
lady,  that  time,  six  years  ago,  when  we  were  at  home?  I  just 
sat  before  Big  Betty,  Dappled  Brown's  mother,  and  the  calf 
which  is  now  such  a  fine  cow  had  just  been  taken  away  from 
her  mother  three  days  before,  and  the  cow  gave  such  quanti- 
ties of  milk.  I  just  sat  and  milked  her  when  my  Princess 
came  by,  and  looked  at  me  with  her  beautiful  eyes  until  I 
felt  my  cheeks  tingle  with  shame,  and  she  said  to  me  with  her 
soft  voice,  which  went  like  a  dagger  to  my  heart,  '  Trude, 
I  am  surprised  that  Big  Betty  gave  less  milk  yesterday  than 
the  days  before.'  Do  you  remember  it  still,  Electress?  " 

"  I  remember  it,"  replied  Louisa  Henrietta  softly.  "  The 
bad  stewardess  had  led  you  astray,  she  had  tempted  you  to 
do  evil." 

"  But  you,  my  most  gracious  Princess — you  were  the  angel 
who  saved  me! "  cried  Trude,  with  streaming  eyes,  taking 
the  Electress's  robe  in  her  hands  and  pressing  it  to  her  lips. 
"  You  saved  me  from  the  evil  eye  and  the  wicked  sorceress. 
'  Only  pray  right  piously  and  be  good  and  true,'  you  said, 
'and  no  evil  eye  will  have  any  further  power  over  you  and 
your  cows.' >: 

""And  you  have  prayed  piously,  and  again  become  good 
and  true,"  said  the  Electress  kindly.  "You  are  my  best 
stewardess,  and  all  that  you  touch  prospers.  See,  Trude, 
this  is  the  blessing  that  follows  purity  of  heart  and  upright- 
ness of  conduct.  I  have  just  looked  over  your  accounts,  and 
am  delighted  with  your  order  and  punctuality.  In  return 
I  will  make  you  a  present.  Dappled  Brown  is  Big  Betty's 
daughter,  and  you  have  loved  her  for  the  sake  of  your  recol- 
lections. I  now  give  you  her  two  calves.  You  are  to  bring 
them  up  for  yourself  and  your  future  household;  for  well 
I  know  that  Michael  and  you  love  one  another  and  would 


JESUS  MY  CONFIDENCE.  409 

like  to  marry.  One  year  hence,  Trude,  the  wedding  shall 
take  place,  and  the  grandchildren  of  Big  Betty  shall  occupy 
the  first  stalls  in  your  stable." 

Trude  cried  and  laughed  for  joy,  and  blushed  until  she 
was  as  red  as  a  cherry,  and  looked  toward  the  door  as  if  she 
would  like  to  go  out,  but  dared  not  before  having  been  dis- 
missed by  the  Electress. 

"  Go  now,  Trude,"  said  Louisa,  smiling.  "  Your  heart 
will  burst  if  you  can  not  speedily  unburden  it  to  Michael. 
Send  Bailiff  Sturm  in  to  me." 

Trude  hurried  off,  and  immediately  afterward  the  bailiff 
entered. 

"  Listen,"  said  the  Electress  in  her  broken  German;  "  I 
am  not  perfectly  satisfied  with  you.  You  must  keep  my  books 
more  strictly  and  systematically.  Last  week  they  again  sent 
money  to  me  in  Berlin  without  particularizing  whether  it 
was  for  butter,  milk,  or  cheese.  This  I  must  know,  that  I 
may  make  the  entry  in  my  own  book,  where  I  mark  down 
exactly  all  my  receipts  and  expenditures."  * 

"  Most  gracious  Electress,"  reverentially  answered  the 
bailiff,  "I  beg  pardon.  Hereafter  I  will  note  everything 
down  with  exactness." 

"And  see,"  continued  the  Electress,  "that  the  masons 
and  carpenters  are  more  diligent.  Everything  is  going  on  so 
slowly.  The  courtyard  is  only  half  paved,  although  it  should 
have  been  finished  last  week.  The  carp  ponds,  too,  are  not 
in  order;  but  first  of  all  must  be  made  the  kitchen  well,  that 
the  water  for  washing  the  butter  may  not  have  to  be  fetched 
So  far,  but  be  right  cold.  Attend  to  all  this,  and  when  I 
come  again  next  Saturday,  let  me  at  least  find  the  well  done. 
Where  is  the  gardener?  " 

"  He  has  gone  with  the  lord  marshal  to  the  new  garden." 

"  Then  I  shall  go  there,  too,"  said  the  Electress,  rising 
from  her  seat.  "  If  any  one  asks  for  me,  and  wishes  to  speak 
to  me  on  pressing  affairs  pertaining  to  the  farm,  you  will 
know  where  to  find  me." 

She  nodded  kindly  to  the  bailiff,  hung  her  little  key 
basket  on  her  arm,  and  left  the  farm  buildings  to  go  into  the 
*  The  Electress's  own  words.  See  Orlich,  book  ii. 


410  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

garden.  But  she  did  not  seem  so  cheerful  to-day  as  was  her 
wont;  her  beautiful  blue  eyes  did  not  look  around  with  the 
lively  interest  they  were  accustomed  to  manifest  when  she 
was  in  her  dear  garden  at  Boetzow.  Her  cheeks,  too,  were 
paler  than  usual,  and  no  mild  and  gentle  smile  beamed  to-day 
upon  her  countenance.  Nor  was  her  step  so  lithe  and  elastic 
as  it  usually  was,  and  her  head,  that  used  to  sit  so  proudly 
and  gracefully  upon  the  slender  throat  was  to-day  cast  down. 
She  saw  not  the  flowers  which  bloomed  at  her  side,  she 
heard  not  the  twittering  of  birds  in  the  shrubbery.  Her 
eye  was  turned  inward,  and  she  only  heeded  the  low,  sad 
whisperings  within  her  breast. 

"  All  has  become  so  different,"  she  said  mournfully  to 
herself.  "  He  no  longer  troubles  himself  about  me;  he  has 
only  sympathy  and  attention  for  her.  Oh,  my  God!  what 
have  I  not  suffered  during  these  last  horrible  weeks!  I  see 
now  how  she  encircled  him  with  her  nets,  how  she  brought 
into  play  every  art  of  her  bewitching  nature  in  order  to  at- 
tract him.  Ah!  and  it  is  so  natural  that  she  succeeds,  for 
she  is  witty,  wise,  and  beautiful,  while  I  am  so  insignificant, 
so  uninteresting  compared  with  her!  Yet  I  love  him  so  much 
I  would  give  my  life  to  insure  his  happiness,  and  I  have  al- 
ways believed  that  true,  heavenly  love,  having  divine  energy 
within  itself,  had  power  to  retain  the  heart  to  which  it  had 
devoted  itself.  But  it  is  not  so,  alas!  it  is  not  so!  I  have 
not  the  power  of  keeping  constant  to  myself  the  precious 
affections  of  his  heart.  It  is  my  fault,  I  know  it,  and  I  have 
nobody  to  reproach  for  it  but  myself.  And  yet,  it  is  such 
grief,  such  bitter  grief!  " 

Thus  she  walked  along,  absorbed  in  melancholy  thought, 
and  heeding  not  the  outer  world.  She  heard  not  the  rolling 
of  carriage  wheels,  saw  not  that  her  Lord  Marshal  Otto  von 
Schwerin  was  coming  up  the  long  avenue  to  meet  her,  and 
only  his  words  of  salutation  roused  her  from  her  sad  reveries. 

"Ah!  there  you  are,  Schwerin,"  she  said,  kindly  offer- 
ing him  her  hand.  "  They  told  me  that  you  had  gone  with 
the  gardener  to  where  they  are  laying  off  the  new  grounds, 
and  I  meant  to  join  you  there." 

"Your  highness  has  passed  by  without  observing  them," 


JESUS  MY  CONFIDENCE.  4-H 

replied  Otto  von  Schwerin,  whose  soft  intelligent  eyes  rested 
most  regretfully  upon  his  mistress's  pale  countenance. 

"  Did  I,  indeed?  Did  I  pass  by?  I  believe  I  was  a  little 
absorbed  by  my  thoughts." 

"I  trust  that  those  thoughts  were  not  of  a  sorrowful 
nature." 

"  Not  exactly.  I  was  not  utterly  gloomy  or  out  of  tune. 
There  is  comfort  for  everything,  and  all  things  must  turn 
out  for  the  best  to  those  who  love  God.  No,  I  have  no  time 
for  repinings;  I  have  so  much  to  think  about  as  regards  my 
housekeeping  and  the  many  improvements  and  buildings 
I  am  projecting  here.  Come,  Schwerin,  let  us  look  at  the 
carp  ponds,  and  then  show  me  the  new  bower  of  roses  which 
the  gardener  has  erected  after  a  drawing  of  mine.  I  hope 
he  copied  it  right  closely,  for  I  attach  great  importance  to  it. 
You  must  know,  the  original  of  this  bower,  of  which  mine 
is  to  be  a  copy,  is  in  the  park  at  The  Hague,  and  there  I  was 
sitting  when  I  first  saw  the  Elector  again  after  many  years. 
Come,  Schwerin,  let  us  go  to  the  bower." 

With  light,  graceful  step  she  walked  cheerfully  along 
at  her  marshal's  side. 

She  had  not  heard  the  rolling  of  the  carriage  which 
stopped  before  the  little  palace  of  Boetzow.  The  Elector 
alighted,  and  when  he  heard  from  the  lackeys  who  hurried 
out  to  greet  him  that  the  Electress  was  in  the  garden,  he 
forthwith  repaired  there  himself. 

"  Let  no  one  announce  my  coming  to  the  Electress,"  was 
his  order  to  the  lackeys.  "  I  want  to  surprise  her  highness. 
All  of  you  then  stay  where  you  are." 

He  proceeded  to  the  garden  and  walked  rapidly  down 
the  avenue.  But  Bailiff  Sturm  had  caught  sight  of  him,  and 
hastened  to  the  Elector. 

"Your  Electoral  Highness,"  he  said,  "the  Electress 
bade  me  say  that  she  had  gone  to  the  new  part  of  the  gar- 
den." 

"Alone?" 

"  No,  the  lord  marshal  is  also  there." 

"  Good!    Stay  here,  I  will  look  for  the  Electress  myself." 

He  entered  the  walk,  which  led  to  the  new  plantations. 
27 


412  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

But  he  was  little  acquainted  with  the  way,  and  knew  not 
whither  to  turn. 

"  Well,  it  is  not  the  enchanted  garden  of  Armida,"  he 
said,  shrugging  his  shoulders,  "  and  I  can  not  fail  to  come 
out  right  at  last." 

Thus  he  advanced  straight  into  the  little  forest  of  noble 
young  trees  and  beautiful  shrubbery.  All  at  once  it  seemed 
to  him  as  if  he  heard  not  far  from  him  a  low  voice  singing. 
He  stood  still  and  listened.  Yes,  he  was  not  mistaken;  it 
was  singing,  in  a  low,  half-suppressed  voice,  and  he  knew 
the  voice.  xlt  was  that  of  the  Electress. 

He  followed  the  direction  of  this  voice,  and  made  a  path 
for  himself  through  the  thicket,  but  cautiously,  without  mak- 
ing a  noise.  He  reached  a  little  clearing  in  the  woods,  and 
found  himself  in  the  rear  of  a  lofty  arbor,  built  of  wire  work, 
in  the  Chine.se  style.  The  rosebushes  had  not  yet  grown  tall 
and  thick  enough  to  obstruct  the  view  of  the  interior,  and  he 
saw  his  wife  sitting  in  the  arbor  upon  a  pretty  rustic  bench. 
Her  hands  were  folded  over  her  knee,  and  with  a  gentle  smile 
she  was  looking  up  at  Otto  von  Schwerin,  who  stood  before 
her,  with  a  book  in  his  hand.  She  sang  a  beautiful,  sacred 
melody  in  a  low,  subdued  voice,  and  Schwerin  looked  in  his 
book  and  nodded  from  time  to  time  as  if  approvingly. 

The  Elector  crept  nearer,  and  now  stood  not  far  from  the 
back  of  the  arbor. 

"Do  you  not  think  the  melody  suits  the  words?"  asked 
the  Electress,  who  had  ceased  to  sing. 

"Yes,  it  suits  perfectly,  your  highness;  there  is  some- 
thing deeply  solemn  and  touching  about  it." 

"  It  is  not  of  my  own  composition,"  said  Louisa,  "  so  that 
I  can  not  appropriate  your  praise  to  myself.  I  heard  it  sung 
at  Cleves,  years  ago,  by  passing  pilgrims.  The  beautiful, 
solemn  strain  made  a  deep  impression  upon  my  heart,  and 
immediately  the  wish  stirred  within  me  to  have  beautiful 
words  to  suit  the  beautiful  melody.  Therefore  I  sang  the  air 
for  you,  and  asked  you  to  compose  a  poem  to  suit  it." 

"  That  is  to  say,  your  highness,  you  suggested  the  sub- 
stance of  the  poem;  you  gave  me  the  whole  train  of  thought, 
designated  the  contents  of  each  verse,  and  I  have  done  noth- 


JESUS  MY  CONFIDENCE.  413 

ing  more  than  translate  into  German  and  rhyme  the  pious, 
noble  words  which  you  repeated  to  me  in  French.  You, 
Electress,  are  properly  the  composer  of  both  melody  and 
song." 

"  No,  no,  indeed,  you  do  me  too  much  honor,  and  I  can 
not  accept  it.  But  please  read  me  your  pretty  song  once 
more." 

"  Your  highness,  it  is  your  own  song.  And  what  title  will 
your  grace  give  it?  " 

"  Let  the  first  line  constitute  its  title,"  said  the  Electress, 
after  a  short  reflection.  "  I  asked  you  to  begin  with  those 
words,  because  I  uttered  them  a  few  weeks  ago,  at  a  moment 
full  of  significance  to  me.  '  Jesus  is  my  confidence,'  so  our 
song  commences,  and  so  shall  it  be  called.  Now  let  me  hear 
it." 

The  Elector  had  approached  still  nearer,  and  if  Louisa 
had  turned  only  a  little  aside  she  would  have  seen  through 
the  wire  work  his  noble  countenance  and  his  beautiful  eyes 
resting  upon  her  with  an  expression  of  infinite  love.  But 
she  looked  only  at  'the  friend  who  stood  before  her,  and  only 
listened  to  the  song  which  he  now  began  to  read: 

"  Jesus  is  my  confidence, 
My  life,  ray  Saviour  now. 
Knowing  this,  should  not  my  heart 
In  sweet  contentment  bowl 
What  though  death's  long  night  draws  near, 
Still  my  heart  shall  know  no  fear. 

"  Jesus,  He,  my  Saviour  lives, 
I,  too,  shall  then  see  life — 
Be  where  my  Redeemer  is 
When  past  this  mortal  strife. 
Leaves  our  Head  one  feeble  limb 
Which  is  drawn  not  after  Himl 

"  By  the  bond  of  hope  and  love 
Close  linked  to  Him  am  I ; 
When  the  last  dread  summons  comes, 
By  faith  I'll  know  him  nigh. 
Lifted  up  on  victory's  wing, 
Death  !  oh,  where  will  be  thy  sting  f 


414:  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

"  The  poem  is  only  finished  so  far,"  said  Otto  von 
Schwerin,  "  but  your  highness  can  see  plainly  that  I  have 
exactly  followed  your  words  and  ideas,  really  doing  nothing 
more  than  transposing  them  into  rhyme.  The  following 
stanza  I  have  done  scarcely  anything  to,  for  your  grace's 
words  naturally  shaped  themselves  into  verse,  only  needing 
a  little  alteration  for  the  sake  of  the  rhyme.  Be  pleased  to 
listen,  your  highness: 

"  Glory  soon  shall  crown  the  saint 
Who  here  but  weeps  and  sighs, 
Earthly  we  must  sink  into  the  grave, 
But  heavenly  shall  we  rise. 
Here  ray  body  must  decay 
There  immortal  bloom  alway." 

"  That  is  very  pretty,  and  to  me  a  deep  wellspring  of  com- 
fort and  refreshment  seems  to  lie  hid  in  those  words.  Let 
us  now  try  to  unite  the  text  with  the  music,  and  then  we  shall 
add  it  to  the  collection  of  songs  which  I  requested  you  to 
arrange  for  me.  I  think  that  we  have  enough  songs  now, 
and  that  they  will  form  a  pretty  little  book.  You  must  get 
them  printed  for  me,  Schwerin,  and  this  collection  will  be  a 
memorial  which,  perhaps,  when  the  childless  Electress  Louisa 
shall  be  no  more,  may  serve  to  remind  my  dear  lord  and 
Elector  of  me  in  dark,  gloomy  days,  and  probably  console 
him  with  the  very  words  which  have  consoled  me.  Have 
three  copies  printed  for  me,  then,  Schwerin,  right  handsome- 
ly and  durably  on  thick  parchment.  One  copy  for  my  dear 
lord,  one  for  my  own  comfort  and  edification,  and  the  third 
for  you,  dear  friend,  to  serve  as  a  memento  of  me  when  I  am 
no  more." 

"  0  most  gracious  Electress!  "  said  Schwerin,  with  a  voice 
choked  by  emotion,  "  you  make  me  sorry  and  glad  at  the  same 
time.  You  gladden  me  by  the  glorious  present  which  you 
bequeath  me,  and  sadden  me  by  speaking  of  your  death.  God 
forbid  that  so  heavy  a  calamity  should  overtake  us  all " 

"  Hush,  my  friend,  hush,  it  shall  be  as  God  chooses.  For, 
as  my  song  says,  so  it  is.  Dust  I  am  and  unto  dust  must  some 
day  return.  Be  not  angry  with  me  on  account  of  my  melan- 


JESUS  MY  CONFIDENCE.  415 

choly.  I  have  actually  no  ground  or  motive  for  it.  It  is  most 
likely  nothing  but  physical  weakness,  for  I  must  acknowledge 
that  I  have  not  felt  entirely  well  for  some  time.  I  suffer! 
But  it  will  pass  away,  and  all  will  be  well  again.  But  now, 
dear  friend,  let  us  once  more  sing  that  beautiful  song,  and 
try  whether  it  is  well  adapted  to  the  air.  You  know  the 
words  by  heart,  so  give  me  the  writing,  that  I  may  read  from 
the  paper." 

Schwerin  handed  her  the  manuscript,  and  with  full,  sonor- 
ous voice,  carried  away  by  inward  enthusiasm,  the  Electress 
sang  to  her  beautiful  melody: 

"  Jesus  is  my  confidence, 
My  life,  my  Saviour  now. 
Knowing  this,  should  not  my  heart 
In  sweet  contentment  bow  I 
What  though  death's  long  night  draws  near, 
Still  my  heart  shall  know  no  fear." 

"  Still  my  heart  shall  know  no  fear! "  repeated  a  loud, 
joyful  voice  behind  her,  and  her  heart  quivered  with  rapture, 
for  she  had  recognized  that  beloved  voice.  She  saw  his  tall, 
splendid  figure,  saw  him  enter  the  arbor,  approach  her  with 
radiant  countenance,  and  extend  his  arms  toward  her. 

Gently  she  arose  from  her  seat  and  tottered  toward  him, 
his  arm  encircled  her  waist,  and  she  leaned  her  head  against 
his  true,  warm  heart,  full  of  reverence  and  joy  unutterable. 

Schwerin  had  tried  to  sing  on,  not  wishing  to  disturb 
their  meeting,  and  hoping  that  the  harmony  of  the  pious 
song  might  fall  upon  their  ears  like  a  benediction  from  on 
high.  But  the  heart  of  the  friend  was  weaker  than  his  will, 
and  in  the  midst  of  a  strain  commenced  the  lord  marshal 
broke  off,  and  with  a  blissful  smile  surveyed  the  princely  pair, 
and  yet  saw  nothing,  for  tears  dimmed  his  eyes. 

Not  a  word  was  spoken.  What  could  words  have  said 
at  that  hallowed  moment?  The  Elector  held  his  beloved 
wife  in  his  arms,  and  she  leaned  on  him  in  the  blissful  con- 
sciousness that  on  his  breast  was  her  true,  her  inalienable 
home. 


416  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 


VIII. — KETRIBUTION. 

IT  was  early  on  the  following  day.  The  Elector  had  re- 
turned the  evening  before  with  his  wife  from  Orangeburg 
to  Berlin,  but  Princess  Ludovicka  had  in  vain  waited  for  a 
message  from  him.  The  Elector  had  retired  to  his  own  apart- 
ments, and  was  pacing  his  cabinet,  revolving  grave  and  seri- 
ous thoughts.  "  An  end  must  be  made  of  this  thing,"  he 
said  to  himself.  "  Louisa  is  grieved  and  distressed.  She 
deems  it  possible  that  this  intriguer,  this  heartless  coquette, 
may  at  last  ensnare  my  heart.  And  why  pursue  further  this 
miserable  game?  I  know  everything  now,  yes,  the  whole 
abominable  tissue  of  avarice,  cunning,  and  villainy,  and  this 
day,  yes,  this  very  day,  I  shall  break  with  both  of  them!  I 
shall  unmask  their  nefarious  schemes,  and  make  up  to  the 
Electress  for  all  that  she  has  suffered." 

A  low  knock  at  the  door  interrupted  him,  and  Chamber- 
lain Kiinkel  entered.  "  Most  gracious  highness,"  he  said, 
"  the  secretary  of  the  Dutch  ambassador,  Count  von  Brand- 
trup,  implores  an  audience.  He  has  dispatches  to  deliver 
to  your  highness  from  The  Hague! " 

"Ah!  at  last!  at  last!"  exclaimed  the  Elector  joyfully. 
"  Admit  the  gentleman  without  delay." 

Kunkel  opened  the  door,  and  the  Elector  eagerly  beck- 
oned this  representative  of  the  Dutch  legation  to  approach. 

"  Do  you  bring  me  dispatches  from  Holland?  "  he  asked 
— "  a  letter  from  the  Princess  Amelia?  " 

"Yes,  most  gracious  sir!  I  have  herewith  the  honor  of 
delivering  it  to  you.  But  at  the  same  time  I  beg  leave  to  pre- 
sent a  most  urgent  petition  in  the  name  of  the  ambassador, 
Count  von  Brandtrup." 

"  Speak,  sir;  what  is  it?  "  asked  the  Elector,  at  the  same 
time  breaking  the  seal  of  the  letter  and  unfolding  the  paper. 

"The  count  was  ordered  by  the  Princess  Eegent  to  ask 
your  highness  if,  the  same  day  that  the  Princess's  letter 
reaches  you,  you  will  allow  him  the  honor  of  waiting  upon 
your  Electoral  Highnesses,  for  the  purpose  of  communicat- 
ing to  you  some  tidings  concerning  family  affairs.  Accord- 


RETRIBUTION.  417 

ingly  the  count  asks  if  he  may  be  allowed  the  high  privilege 
of  being  received,  in  an  hour  from,  this  time,  without  any 
ceremony?  The  Princess  Amelia  also  desires  that  the  Prin- 
cess Ludovicka  Hollandine  of  the  Palatinate  be  present  at 
this  reception,  but  no  one  else." 

"  Eh!  That  is  quite  a  strange  and  mysterious  message," 
said  the  Elector.  "  Meanwhile  the  Princess's  wish  shall  be 
a  law  to  me,  and  all  shall  be  done  as  her  grace  directs.  I 
shall  expect  the  count  in  an  hour,  and  notify  the  Elec- 
tress  and  Princess  Ludovicka  in  time.  We  shall  receive  the 
count's  visit  in  the  Electress's  cabinet,  and  the  ambassador 
may  be  introduced  without  further  ceremony  by  our  chamber- 
lain, who  will  await  him  in  the  antechamber.  Bear  this  mes- 
sage to  the  count,  and  present  my  compliments  to  him." 

"  And  now,"  said  the  Elector,  after  the  secretary  had 
withdrawn — "  now  for  my  prudent  mother-in-law's  letter." 

The  Princess  Amelia  had  written  a  long,  significant  letter 
to  the  Elector,  in  which  politics  occupied  an  important  place. 
But  this  time  family  affairs  interested  Frederick  William 
still  more,  and  he  read  several  times  the  portion  of  the  letter 
devoted  to  them: 

"  Now,  as  regards  the  Princess  Ludovicka  Hollandine,  I 
had  already  heard  from  Paris,  through  reliable  sources,  that 
this  intriguing  individual  had  insinuated  herself  into  Maza- 
rin's  good  graces,  and  become  a  political  emissary  of  the  car- 
dinal. I  had  also  been  informed  that  she  had  been  sent  to 
your  court  to  induce  you  by  her  wiles  and  arts  to  form  an 
alliance  with  France  and  forsake  your  present  policy.  She 
is  a  person  of  many  gifts,  well  skilled  in  the  arts  of  seduction, 
and  before  I  received  your  letter  I  had  planned  to  expose 
her  to  you,  and  once  and  forever  to  procure  my  dear  Louisa 
rest  from  her  evil  machinations.  I  can  imagine  how  she 
revived  the  story  of  your  youthful  love,  pretending  to  have 
always  lived  upon  and  been  consumed  by  that  pure  and  in- 
nocent passion.  But  I  determined  to  unmask  her,  that  she 
might  flee  from  your  house  as  the  devil  flees  at  sight  of  the 
holy  Cross.  So  I  devised  my  plan  and  have  happily  executed 
it.  I  shall  tell  you  nothing  more  about  it,  however,  lest, 
through  excess  of  tenderness  and  delicacy  toward  your  old 


418  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

flame,  you  might  shrink  from  carrying  out  my  scheme. 
For,  however  good  and  true  men  may  be — however  good  and 
true  you  are  to  my  Louisa — they  always  preserve  a  little  weak- 
ness for  their  earlier  loves,  and  sometimes  think  of  them  with 
secret  satisfaction,  and  would  be  sorry  to  give  them  pain. 
But  I  am  a  woman,  and  women  are  vindictive  toward  the 
false  of  their  own  sex,  especially  when  the  happiness  of  a 
beloved  and  virtuous  daughter  may  be  threatened  by  the 
wiles  of  one  of  them.  I  would  therefore  revenge  Louis^  on 
Ludovicka  Hollandine.  But  fear  nothing,  my  son;  it  will 
be  no  bloody  revenge;  at  most  it  could  only  cause  the  blood 
to  mount  to  Ludovicka's  cheeks,  if  she  were  still  capable  of 
shame,  which,  alas!  I  doubt.  Make  no  further  inquiries, 
but  simply  receive  the  ambassador's  visit,  and  permit  him 
to  communicate  to  you  his  information.  But  I  urge  that  this 
be  done  as  speedily  as  possible  after  the  arrival  of  my  letter, 
for  Ludovicka  has  her  spies  everywhere,  even  in  the  house 
of  my  minister  in  Berlin,  and  if  she  gets  wind  of  this  affair, 
she  will  not  await  developments,  but  abscond  beforehand. 
Therefore  be  silent,  even  with  Louisa,  and  delay  not  to  grant 
the  ambassador  the  desired  interview  without  ceremony  and 
without  witnesses." 

"I  really  can  not  understand  what  it  signifies,"  said  the 
Elector,  laughing,  when  he  had  read  over  Princess  Amelia's 
letter  for  the  third  time.  "  However,  I  can  trust  to  her  pru- 
dence and  discernment,  so  that  things  may  take  their  course. 
I  will  send  Kiinkel  to  the  Princess  Ludovicka  forthwith,  and 
request  her  to  breakfast  with  us  in  Louisa's  apartments,  where 
I  shall  join  her  in  a  half  hour  myself,  as  I  have  some  impor- 
tant communications  to  make  to  her.  She  will  certainly  come, 
for  she  will  think  that  her  vile,  contemptible  plan  is  about 
to  succeed,  and  that  I  have  actually  been  ensnared  in  her 
devilish  toils!  Yes,  the  hour  of  reckoning  is  now  come,  and 
to-day  I  shall  also  balance  accounts  with  Burgsdorf.  To- 
day for  the  last  time  will  he  enter  my  cabinet." 

An  hour  later  the  Princess  Ludovicka  Hollandine  entered 
the  cabinet,  where  she  found  the  Electress  at  her  husband's 
side.  She  came  with  radiant  countenance  and  beaming  eyes, 
and  a  triumphant  smile  hovered  about  her  lips,  for  she  did 


RETRIBUTION.  419 

not  doubt  but  that  the  Elector  had  requested  her  to  come 
here  because  he  would  prepare  her  a  triumph  over  her  hu- 
miliated rival,  and  because  her  plan  had  proved  success- 
ful. 

The  Electress  suspected  nothing  of  all  these  things;  her 
husband,  conformably  to  Princess  Amelia's  wishes,  had  al- 
lowed nothing  of  her  mother's  plans  of  vengeance  to  trans- 
pire, and  only  told  her  that  Count  Brandtrup  was  coming 
to  impart  to  them  both  and  the  Princess  important  tidings 
relating  to  family  affairs. 

Louisa  Henrietta  advanced,  therefore,  to  meet  the  Prin- 
cess in  a  perfectly  simple,  unembarrassed  manner,  and 
greeted  her  with  a  friendly  smile.  Frederick  William,  on 
the  other  hand,  had  not  a  word  of  response  for  her  cordial 
greeting,  and  met  her  smile  with  firm,  defiant  mien. 

"  Tell  me,  Ludovicka,"  asked  the  Electress,  "  are  you  not 
very  curious  with  regard  to  the  news  Count  Brandtrup  brings 
us?" 

"What  news?"  cried  the  Princess.  "I  know  nothing 
about  it.  Is  Count  Brandtrup  coming  here?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  replied  the  Elector.  "  My  mother-in- 
law's  envoy  will  appear  here  immediately.  He  has  impor- 
tant family  tidings  to  communicate  to  us,  in  the  name  of 
the  Regent,  who  expressly  desired  that  your  highness  might 
be  present  at  this  audience." 

"  Strange,"  murmured  the  Princess.  "  Louisa,  your 
mother  was  never  particularly  partial  to  me,  and  it  is  a  won- 
der to  me  that  she  has  all  at  once  thought  of  me." 

"  Is  that  really  a  source  of  wonder  to  your  grace?  "  asked 
the  Elector.  "  After  long  years  of  roving  about  the  world, 
did  you  not  think  of  us,  and  receive  us  again  into  your  affec- 
tion— and  that  to  such  a  degree  that  you  would  have  us  be- 
lieve you  could  content  yourself  here  in  our  wretched  old 
castle,  and  could  find  pleasure  in  the  monotonous  and  virtu- 
ous life  we  lead  here,  though  it  is  assuredly  not  in  the  least 
to  your  taste." 

The  Princess  had  turned  pale,  and  the  smile  had  faded 
from  her  lips.  She  was  in  the  act  of  making  a  sharp  and 
angry  retort,  when  the  door  opened,  and  the  gentleman  of 


420  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

the  bedchamber  von  Maltzan  announced  Count  von  Brand- 
trup. 

"  Let  him  come  in/'  said  the  Elector,  "  and  take  care,  Malt- 
zan, that  nobody  else  be  admitted  while  the  count  is  here." 

"  But,  your  Electoral  Highness,  the  count  does  not  come 
alone.  He  brings  a  whole  company  with  him.  Shall  I  not 
admit  those  persons?" 

"  The  count  himself  is  to  decide  that,"  replied  the  Elec- 
tor. "  Let  him  enter." 

"  I  am  indeed  curious  to  know  what  all  this  signifies," 
murmured  Ludovicka,  sinking  into  the  armchair  placed  be- 
side the  Electress's  sofa. 

The  door  was  now  opened,  and  the  Dutch  ambassador 
entered.  With  stately  steps  he  approached  the  Electress  and 
bowed  reverentially  before  her,  then  turned  to  the  Elector 
and  saluted  him  with -just  as  low  a  bow.  For  Princess  Ludo- 
vicka Hollandine,  however,  he  had  no  eyes,  no  salutation. 

"  Know,  count,"  said  the  Elector,  "  that  we  are  very  curi- 
ous to  learn  the  tidings  of  which  you  are  the  bearer!  First 
of  all,  relieve  our  minds,  and  tell  us  that  they  are  not  of  a 
melancholy  nature." 

"  Not  in  the  least  melancholy,  your  highness.  They 
only  concern  an  act  of  justice,  a  well-merited  punishment, 
inflicted  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  holy  writ,  which 
says,  '  If  an  eye  offend  thee,  pluck  it  out;  if  one  of  thy  mem- 
bers offend  thee,  cast  it  from  thee.'  * 

"And  to  whom  are  those  words  of  holy  writ  to  be  ap- 
plied? "  asked  the  Elector. 

"Your  highness,  to  a  member  of  the  house  of  Orange, 
who  has  brought  much  care  and  sorrow  upon  that  illustrious 
family,  and  would  bring  yet  more  if  it  were  not  lopped  off 
the  vigorously  shooting  tree  as  a  withered  branch.  I  stand 
here  in  the  name  of  Princess  Amelia,  Regent  of  the  Nether- 
lands, and  in  obedience  to  her  commands  I  read  the  follow- 
ing:" 

He  drew  forth  a  paper,  unfolded  it,  and  read: 

"We,  Princess  Amelia  of  Orange,  Regent  of  the  States 
and  head  of  the  house  of  Orange,  and  as  such  intrusted  with 
the  defense  of  virtue  and  good  morals,  and  charged  with 


RETRIBUTION.  421 

maintaining  in  its  purity  the  religion  of  our  house  and  not 
suffering  it  to  be  corrupted,  accordingly  notify  you,  the  sons 
and  daughters,  the  relations  and  connections  of  our  house, 
to  this  effect,  that  we  now  and  forever  renounce  the  Princess 
Ludovicka  Hollandine  of  the  Palatinate;  we " 

The  Princess  started  from  her  seat  with  a  loud  cry  of  in- 
dignation. 

"  Sit  down,"  cried  the  Elector,  "  in  the  name  of  the  Prin- 
cess Eegent,  I  charge  you  sit  down  and  listen!  " 

She  sank  back  into  the  armchair  as  if  annihilated,  and 
only  a  single  angry  flash  of  her  eyes  fell  upon  the  Elector's 
face.  With  imperturbable  tranquillity  Count  Brandtrup 
read  on: 

"We  forbid  her  to  consider  herself  a  member  of  our 
family,  and  forever  withdraw  our  protection  from  her.  She 
has  forsaken  and  abjured  the  religion  of  her  fathers,  she 
has  secretly  absconded  from  her  mother's  house,  forsaken  also 
her  second  home  and  family.  She  shall  therefore  now  be 
forsaken  and  given  up  by  her  family  and " 

"  Stop,  oh,  stop! "  cried  the  Electress,  with  tears  in  her 
eyes.  "  Do  not  be  cruel,  read  no  more!  " 

"  On  the  contrary,  Electress,"  said  Ludovicka,  "  let  him 
read  on,  and  have  the  goodness  to  play  no  longer  this  farce 
of  emotion,  for  it  is  you  yourself  who  have  called  into  life  this 
highly  dramatic  scene,  and  prompted  your  mother  to  this 
act  of  Christian  piety." 

"I?"  asked  the  Electress,  painfully  shocked.  "Do  you 
believe  that  I " 

"  Electress,"  interrupted  Frederick  William,  "  have  the 
goodness  to  hear  what  more  the  count  has  to  read." 

Count  Brandtrup  composedly  continued  his  sentence 
where  he  had  left  off: 

"  And  shall  be  regarded  as  a  stranger  by  us  all.  We  for- 
bid her  to  set  foot  within  the  boundaries  of  our  dominions; 
she  is  banished  for  life  from  the  States;  and  nothing  belong- 
ing to  the  Princess  Ludovicka  shall  remain  within  the  limits 
of  our  land.  We  therefore  send  her 

"Stop!"  cried  the  Princess,  trembling,  "hold,  read  no 
more! " 


422  TI1E  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN   POWER. 

But  Count  Brandtrup  continued  with  elevated  voice: 
"  We  therefore  send  the  Princess  the  only  treasures  which 
she  still  possesses  in  Holland,  and  which  she  deposited  here 
since  her  sojourn  in  France;  we  send  them  beyond  our 
boundaries  to  the  tender  Princess,  that  she  may  provide  for 
them  elsewhere.  We  command  our  minister  at  Berlin,  Count 
Brandtrup,  to  commit  these  treasures  to  the  Princess  of  the 
Palatinate  in  the  presence  of  the  Elector  and  Electress  of 
Brandenburg." 

"  But  I — I  forbid  you  to  do  so! "  cried  the  Princess,  her 
eyes  flashing  fury.  "  I  forbid  you  to  carry  any  further  this 
insult,  this  malignity! " 

"  Madam,"  said  the  count  coldly,  "  it  is  for  no  one  to  com- 
mand or  forbid  me  to  do  anything,  save  God  and  the  Prin- 
cess Regent.  What  she  prescribes,  that  I  do." 

So  speaking,  he  strode  across  to  the  door  and  opened  it. 
"  Enter,  little  ladies,  enter,"  he  said. 

There  appeared  in  the  doorway  two  charming  little  girls, 
aged  two  and  three  years.  Beautiful  were  they  to  behold 
with  their  blonde,  curly  heads,  their  dark,  expressive  eyes. 

"  Mesdemoiselles  Virginie  and  Lucie  de  Villars,"  said  the 
count,  "  go  to  your  mother,  the  Princess  Ludovicka,  and 
kiss  her." 

The  little  children  stepped  timidly  forward,  and  there 
appeared  in  the  door  two  other  little  girls,  a  few  years  older. 

"  Mesdemoiselles  Laura  and  Aime"e  de  Brantome,"  con- 
tinued the  count,  "  go  and  kiss  your  mother,  the  Princess 
Ludovicka." 

And  as  they  stepped  forward,  two  sprightly  boys,  of  seven 
and  eight  years,  entered  the  door. 

"Vicomte  Turenne  and  Monsieur  Champion,"  said  the 
count,  "  go  to  your  mother  and  kiss  her  hand." 

They  had  not  taken  more  than  one  step  forward,  when 
two  larger  boys  appeared  upon  the  threshold  of  the  door. 

"My  young  Vicomtes  d'Entragues "  said  the  count, 

with  perfect  gravity,  but  the  Elector  interrupted  him  with  a 
peal  of  loud,  hearty  laughter,  to  which  the  Princess  replied 
with  a  shriek  of  rage.  She  thrust  back  the  two  little  girls, 
who  were  about  to  take  her  hand,  so  violently  that  they  fell 


RETRIBUTION.  423 

backward  to  the  ground,  then  with  a  vehement  movement 
of  her  hand  she  waved  off  the  rest  of  the  children,  and  with 
proud,  quick  step  swept  through  the  apartment,  tore  open  the 
door,  and  disappeared  behind  it.* 

"  It  serves  her  right,"  said  the  Elector  to  himself.  "  She 
would  scatter  the  seeds  of  evil,  and  they  have  sprung  up  to 
prove  her  own  ruin!  " 

The  Electress  had  hardly  seen  that  the  Princess  had  with- 
drawn. She  had  sprung  from  her  seat  and  hastened  to  the 
little  girls  whom  their  mother  had  thrown  down.  She  had 
picked  up  the  lovely  little  creatures,  and,  kneeling  between 
them,  had  drawn  them  to  her  side,  and  sought  to  comfort 
them  with  gentle  soothing  words. 

Count  Brandtrup  approached  her.  "  If  your  highness 
will  permit  me,"  he  said,  "  I  will  take  the  children  away  with 
me  again." 

"And  whither  would  you  take  them,  count?"  asked  the 
Electress,  tenderly  embracing  the  children  again. 

"  They  go  with  their  governesses  and  tutors  to  the  Palati- 
nate, where  their  grandmother,  the  Electress,  will  provide 
for  them." 

An  hour  later  a  carriage  drawn  by  four  horses  rolled  out 
of  the  castle  gate.  The  windows  were  closed,  the  curtains 
lowered.  Within  sat  the  Princess  Ludovicka  Hollandine. 
White  with  passion,  with  tears  of  rage  in  her  large,  sparkling 
eyes,  she  drove  off.  No  one  had  taken  leave  of  her,  no  one 
had  bidden  her  an  affectionate  farewell,  as  she  stepped  into 
the  carriage.  Only  a  few  lackeys  had  stood  beside  the  coach 
door  and  helped  her  in.  Solitary  and  alone  she  drove  away, 
never  again  to  return  to  her  family  and  relations.  Queen 
Anne  of  Austria  and  Mazarin  rewarded  her  zeal  in  behalf 
of  French  policy  by  making  her  Abbess  of  Meaubuisson,  and 
for  a  long  time  still  she  pursued  her  scandalous  course  of 
life  in  that  abbey. 

Hardly  had  the  Princess  left  the  castle,  when  Burgsdorf 

*  The  Princess  Ludovicka  Hollandine  was,  without  being  married, 
the  mother  of  fourteen  children,  and,  as  the  Duchess  of  Orleans  relates  in 
her  letters,  boasted  without  reserve  of  this  fact. 


424  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

entered  the  Electoral  cabinet  with  his  portfolio  under  his 
arm.  He  came  with  his  wonted  gay  and  jovial  bearing,  with 
the  haughty  confidence  of  a  favorite  who  knows  his  own  power 
and  consequence,  and  has  no  doubt  of  their  duration.  The 
Elector  sat  before  his  writing  table,  and  his  eyes  rested  sadly 
and  gloomily  upon  the  entering  minister. 

"  What  would  you  have  here  ?  "  he  asked,  with  thunder- 
ing voice. 

Burgsdorf  started  and  looked  bewildered.  "  Your  high- 
ness, I  come  as  I  do  every  day,  to  the  meeting  of  the  privy 
council." 

"  You  come  in  vain,"  said  the  Elector,  rising.  "  You 
shall  never  more  attend  a  meeting  of  the  privy  council." 

"Why  not,  your  highness?"  asked  Burgsdorf,  who  en- 
deavored to  preserve  his  bold,  free-and-easy  manner. 

With  threatening  mien  the  Elector  stepped  close  up  to 
him.  "  Why  not  ?  "  he  asked,  with  glances  of  burning  indig- 
nation. "  Have  you  still  spirit  enough  to  ask  why  I  dismiss 
you?  Well,  I  will  tell  you.  Because  there  is  a  Dionysius's 
ear  in  this  castle,  and  because,  when  rafters  creak  and  dust 
sifts  through  boards  in  the  ceiling,  you  may  know  that  it 
is  not  caused  by  rats." 

"Your  highness!  oh!  my  dear,  gracious  Elector!" 
shrieked  Burgsdorf,  dropping  the  portfolio,  his  knees  knock- 
ing together  so  violently  that  he  sank  to  the  floor.  "  Have 
pity,  have  mercy,  I  entreat  you!  " 

"You  entreat  in  vain,"  said  the  Elector  gravely,  almost 
sadly.  "  All  is  over  between  us.  I  had  determined  to  punish 
you  more  severely,  and  to  accuse  you  in  full  council  as  a 
traitor,  as  the  paid  spy  of  a  foreign  power,  but  I  thought  of 
the  long  years  gone  by,  of  the  love  borne  you  by  my  father 
and  myself.  I  thought  of  your  gray  hairs  and  your  old  age, 
and  in  my  heart,  I  have  already  forgiven  you  the  grief  you 
have  caused  me." 

"  You  have  forgiven  me,  your  highness?  "  cried  Burgsdorf 
joyfully.  "  You  will  again  be  a  kind  and  gracious  Sovereign 
to  me?  " 

"  Yes,  a  kind  and  gracious  Sovereign,  for,  instead  of  pub- 
licly accusing  you,  I  shall  dismiss  you  with  all  secrecy.  But 


RETRIBUTION.  425 

to-day,  in  the  course  of  one  hour,  you  are  to  leave  Berlin 
and  to  retire  to  your  estates.  From  there  you  will  address 
me  a  petition,  desiring  me  to  dismiss  you  from  all  your  offices." 

"  Sir,  you  banish  me,  you  drive  me  from  your  presence!  " 
lamented  Burgsdorf .  "  You  are  not  in  earnest,  surely  you 
will  relent! " 

"  No,"  said  the  Elector,  "  I  shall  not  relent.  You  have 
banished  yourself  from  my  regards,  driven  yourself  from  my 
presence.  Go  and  live  happily,  if  you  can.  I  shall  have  no 
suit  instituted  against  you,  for  I  would  not  be  unmindful 
of  the  services  rendered  by  you  to  my  house  in  earlier  days. 
The  papers  in  the  archives,  too,  which  might  compromise 
you,  shall  be  given  up  to  you,*  and  I  shall  preserve  silence 
with  regard  to  your  tricks  and  treasons.  I  well  know  that 
you  will  take  advantage  of  this,  and  say  that  I  dismissed  you 
because  you  opposed  me  in  the  recent  Diet,  and  had  set  your- 
self against  the  tax  which  I  am  thinking  of  introducing.  I 
will  allow  you  this  satisfaction  for  the  sake  of  all  the  pleasant 
hours  which  I  have  passed  with  you.  Only,  keep  a  guard 
upon  your  false  tongue,  that  it  never  dare  to  speak  against 
the  Electress,  for  then  you  shall  learn  to  know  me  as  an  in- 
exorable and  severe  master.  Go  now,  and  remember  that 
in  one  hour  you  must  have  left  Berlin.  Go!  " 

"  Sir,  my  beloved  Elector,  at  least  permit  me  to  kiss  your 
hand.  You  have  often  called  me  your  father,  and " 

"  Hush!  "  interrupted  the  Elector  imperiously.  "  Speak 
not  of  things  which  are  dead  and  buried.  Be  silent,  and  go 
without  uttering  another  word.  Conrad  von  Burgsdorf,  you 
are  dismissed." 

Burgsdorf  groaned  aloud,  let  his  head  sink  upon  his 
breast,  and  reeled  out  of  the  room.f 

The  Elector  still  sat  motionless,  sadly  looking  after  him. 
Then  he  slowly  drew  his  hand  across  his  eyes.  "  I  loved 

*  Conrad  von  Burgsdorf  died  in  the  next  year  (1653)  on  his  estate  of 
Gusow.  After  his  downfall  he  had  become  a  raging  opponent  of  the 
Elector ;  "  but  he,"  says  Droysen,  "  took  no  notice  of  the  abuse  and  vitu- 
peration with  which  the  ingrate  requited  him.  His  death  put  an  end  to 
further  vexations."  (Droysen,  vol.  iii,  part  3,  p.  69). 

t  Historical.     Vide,  Droysen,  ibid. 


426  THE  GREAT  ELECTOR  IN  POWER. 

him,"  he  said,  "  and  it  is  a  bitter  thing  to  be  obliged  to  lose 
a  friend  before  death  has  called  him  hence.  Ah!  life  makes 
us  poorer  every  day  in  joys  and  hopes,  and  the  ideals  of  our 
youth  go  not  with  us  to  the  tomb.  But  this  one,  0  God! 
this  one  let  me  hold  fast  to  the  end!  This  one  ideal,  that 
I  may  lift  my  country,  which  Thou  hast  intrusted  to  me, 
out  of  poverty  and  degradation,  and  make  it  great  and  strong; 
that  I  may  make  my  people  happy,  free,  and  independent, 
winning  for  them  a  place  among  the  civilized  nations  of  the 
earth.  To  that  end,  bestow  upon  me  thy  blessing,  0  Lord 
my  God!  and  help  me,  so  that  from  the  little  Electorate  of 
Brandenburg  may  spring  up  a  mighty  and  united  kingdom! 
Amen! " 


THE  END. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY,  LOS  ANGELES 

COLLEGE  LIBRARY 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


Book  Slip — Series  4280 


UCLA-College  Library 

PT  2438  M4G9E  1897 


A    001214584    3 


